• Clean Technology
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.175-181
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• 2006

The feasibility of the use of porous fossil diatoms for indoor air pollution control was investigated via the characterization of physical and chemical properties. The fossil diatoms were observed by SEM(Scanning Electron Microscope). Diatomite had well-distributed pores below 5 nm and relatively large surface area compare to sericite. However, no porosity in sericite was found. Results showed that diatomite had better performance than sericite in respect to porosity and large surface area. But diatomite which is thermally treated at $950^{\circ}C$ has no porosity and low surface area because of combustion of fossil diatoms or calcination of inorganic oxide at high temperature, and has poor adsorption capability of ammonia gas. In conclusion, porous diatomite has relatively high performance to adsorb noxious chemical compounds, such as ammonia gas and VOCs.