Method for producing aerogels

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for producing aerogels, in particular silica aerogels, by way of a sol-gel process.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This patent application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 15 / 516,528 entitled “METHOD FOR PRODUCING AEROGELS” filed on Apr. 3, 2017, which is a National Stage filing of International Application PCT / EP 2015 / 070708, filed Sep. 10, 2015, claiming priority to DE 10 2014 014 377.5 filed Oct. 2, 2014, and to DE 10 2014 117 759.2 filed Dec. 3, 2014. The subject application claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15 / 516,528, to PCT / EP 2015 / 070708, to DE 10 2014 014 377.5, and to DE 10 2014 117 759.2, and incorporates all by reference herein, in their entirety.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention relates to the technical field of aerogels, especially silica aerogels. In particular, the present invention relates to a method for producing aerogels and also to the aerogels obtainable by the method of the present invention and their uses, particularly in insulants. The present invention further relates to a...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The method produces aerogels that are inexpensive, mechanically stable, and suitable for wide use in insulating materials, with improved mechanical robustness and reduced production costs, enabling their application in demanding thermal and acoustical insulation.

Problems solved by technology

However, aerogels are largely confined to some specialty applications in the area of isolant and insulant materials, since their high porosity makes aerogels extremely fragile solid-state structures destroyed even by relatively low mechanical stress.

In addition, the preparation of aerogels is very costly and inconvenient, explaining why aerogels have hitherto not been commercially useful in isolating and insulating materials.

Said gel is dried in an autoclave under supercritical conditions, which makes this process very inconvenient and costly, to obtain an aerogel.

Supercritical drying of the aerogel, or removal of the solvent, is necessary because otherwise, owing to the highly porous structure of the aerogel, the capillary forces acting during solvent removal destroy the solid-state structure of the aerogel.

But even this version of the process is too inconvenient for cost-effective practice on an industrial scale.

Since, however, these methods are also very inconvenient and time intensive and, what is more, they generally lead to aerogels barely capable of withstanding mechanical stresses, there are endeavors seeking to further optimize the production methods for aerogels and also the physical parameters of aerogels.

All these methods, however, fail to provide a particulate, mechanically sufficiently stable aerogel under economically sensible conditions which is potentially capable of achieving wide use in isolating and insulating materials.

Moreover, the prior art methods reviewed are all without exception complex multi-step processes which are typically possible only with the use of numerous organic solvents and further additives.

Since the chemistries used are often corrosive, poisonous and / or flammable, or used under high pressure, special safety precautions have to be taken to handle these chemistries and to dispose of them.

This drives up the costs of aerogel production still further, resulting in silica aerogels currently having to be priced at up to € 120 / kg.