Preparation of microporous glass fiber cloth without cracking

A glass fiber cloth (GFC) with microporosity was prepared upon the suppression of crack generations. After the prepared GFC was heat-treated, it was slowly cooled to room temperature and then subsequently treated with hydrochloric acid. The experimental data through complementary techniques including scanning electron microscopy, nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherm, solid-state 29Si nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and elemental analysis revealed the conversion of the slowly-cooled GFC into a microporous solid with no cracks in each glass fiber upon the alkaline leaching by hydrochloric acid. These results clearly indicated the formation of microporous GFC without cracking.