Methods for fabrication of silica aerogels with custom shapes using freeze drying

• Main Authors: Bertino, Massimo, White, Lauren, Echard, Dalton, Selden, Tyler
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 23.05.2023
• Subjects: AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F,C08G; CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOIDCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON; COMPOUNDS THEREOF; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; INORGANIC CHEMISTRY; MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED OTHERWISE THAN BY REACTIONSONLY INVOLVING UNSATURATED CARBON-TO-CARBON BONDS; METALLURGY; NON-METALLIC ELEMENTS; ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS; TRANSPORTING; WORKING-UP

A method of synthesizing aerogels and cross-linked aerogels are described that incorporate freeze-drying in lieu of super-critical solvent drying. Advantages over supercritical drying include a reduction in hazard risks posed by drying at supercritical conditions as well as the ability to up-scale the process to accommodate large pieces of material without introducing risk. In addition, inexpensive and more sophisticated mold technologies, which are not impervious to super-critical conditions, can be used to produce aerogel materials according to the freeze-drying method of the invention. This introduces a level of freedom never before available for the production of aerogel components.