Abstract
The charcoal-encapsulated methyl silica microcapsules were prepared by a O/W microemulsion sol-gel method, and the adsorption properties on aquatic humic acid were investigated. The capsules prepared were spherical, $100{\sim}1000{\mu}m$ in size. The size distribution was controllable by adjusting the size of charcoal powder, charcoal/methyl silica ratio, and agitating speed in O/W sol-gel process. Adsorption efficiency of charcoal for aquatic humic acid was decreased after encapsulation by methyl silica shell. The decreased adsorption efficiency can be dependent on the decrease of the BET surface area and pore volume after encapsulation. Diffusion properties of humic acid through the capsule shell also played an important role on adsorption efficiency. Therefore, the reasonable target pollutants for the capsules can be VOC or odor molecules which can overcome diffusion barrier through shell of capsules in air condition. Functionalization methods for the charcoal-encapsulated $CH_3(SiO)_n$ microcapsules by incorporation of $TiO_3$ as a phtocatalytic function and by incorporation of inorganic pigment as a color function were also investigated. $TiO_2$ coating properties were controllable by adjusting pH, temperature, and the concentration of $TiOSO_4$. In XRD measurement, the crystal form of the coated $TiO_2$ was anatase. For the colorization of the capsules, inorganic pigments were more efficient than organic dyes, and various color was introduced to the capsules using inorganic pigments.