Ppg Industries, Inc.

Lin-Chang Chiang

Ronald E Betts

Richard P Beaver

George V Sanzero

Biochemically active material is immobilized on porous silica-rich glass fibers having a diameter of about 3 to 150 microns, a length of about 0.03 inch to continuous fiber length, a mean pore diameter in the range of about 10 to 3000 angstroms, a pore volume of about 0.5 to 1.5 cc/gm and a surface area of about 10 to 600 m.sup.2 /gm. The porous glass fibers are preferably formed from a composition containing greater than 35 up to 60 weight percent B.sub.2 O.sub.3, about 1 to 10 weight percent alkali metal oxides, about 30 to 65 weight percent SiO.sub.2, up to about 5 weight percent ZrO.sub.2, and up to about 4 weight percent Al.sub.2 O.sub.3. Fibers having the composition are heated to cause phase separation into a boron-rich phase and a silica-rich phase, and are then treated by water and acid leaching to produce the porous glass fibers. A biochemically active material is attached to the fibers by absorption or by covalent bonding with a linking agent.

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Export, PA, United States of America

Lin-Chang Chiang