Aerogel Granule Core-Shell Structure for Solvent Dispersibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional aerogel powders, whether hydrophobic or hydrophilic, face issues with uneven distribution and loss of heat isolation properties during post-processing due to incompatibility with solvents, leading to poor thermal insulation performance.
Innovation Solution
A method for producing aerogel granules with a hydrophobic-hydrophilic bipolar core-shell structure by combining hydrophilic and hydrophobic alkoxysilane compounds, using acidic and basic catalysts, and adjusting solvent properties to form aerogel granules with a hydrophilic shell and hydrophobic core or vice versa, allowing for even distribution and maintaining high heat isolation in various solvents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If hydrophobic aerogel powder is dispersed in hydrophobic solvent, then dispersibility is improved, but heat isolation property deteriorates due to solvent penetration into pores
Solution Approach 1:
The aerogel is designed with a core-shell structure where the core maintains hydrophobicity for dispersibility while the shell provides hydrophilicity to prevent solvent penetration. This local differentiation of properties allows the aerogel to be dispersed in hydrophobic solvents without losing heat isolation properties, as the hydrophilic shell acts as a barrier to solvent infiltration.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite aerogel structure combining hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions. The core-shell configuration integrates two materials with opposite surface properties, enabling the aerogel to simultaneously achieve good dispersibility in hydrophobic solvents and maintain heat isolation by preventing solvent penetration through the hydrophilic shell.
2Ease of operation
If hydrophilic aerogel powder is dispersed in hydrophilic solvent, then dispersibility is improved, but heat isolation property deteriorates due to solvent penetration into pores
Solution Approach 1:
The aerogel is designed with a core-shell structure where the core maintains hydrophobicity for dispersibility while the shell provides hydrophilicity to prevent solvent penetration. This local differentiation of properties allows the aerogel to be dispersed in hydrophobic solvents without losing heat isolation properties, as the hydrophilic shell acts as a barrier to solvent infiltration.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite aerogel structure combining hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions. The core-shell configuration integrates two materials with opposite surface properties, enabling the aerogel to simultaneously achieve good dispersibility in hydrophobic solvents and maintain heat isolation by preventing solvent penetration through the hydrophilic shell.
3Reliability
If supercritical drying is used to produce hydrophilic aerogel, then heat isolation property is improved, but productivity deteriorates due to high pressure requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the surface chemistry parameters of the aerogel by introducing a core-shell structure with hydrophobic core and hydrophilic shell. This parameter change allows the aerogel to maintain heat isolation properties without requiring supercritical drying, enabling production under ambient conditions and significantly improving productivity and mass production capability.
4Stability of the object's composition
If conventional sol-gel method is used to produce uniform aerogel, then structural homogeneity is improved, but functional versatility deteriorates due to single hydrophobicity
Solution Approach 1:
The aerogel is designed with a core-shell structure where the core maintains hydrophobicity for dispersibility while the shell provides hydrophilicity to prevent solvent penetration. This local differentiation of properties allows the aerogel to be dispersed in hydrophobic solvents without losing heat isolation properties, as the hydrophilic shell acts as a barrier to solvent infiltration.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite aerogel structure combining hydrophobic and hydrophilic regions. The core-shell configuration integrates two materials with opposite surface properties, enabling the aerogel to simultaneously achieve good dispersibility in hydrophobic solvents and maintain heat isolation by preventing solvent penetration through the hydrophilic shell.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method results in aerogel granules with enhanced dispersibility and heat isolation properties, enabling even distribution in both hydrophilic and hydrophobic solvents while maintaining porosity and thermal insulation, thus improving the utility and productivity of aerogel powders.
Implementation Method 1
An aerogel is a porous material with a three-dimensional net-like structure, and also a technological product having low density, high specific surface area, and low thermal conductivity. Therefore, an aerogel is mainly used for thermal insulation.
Implementation Method 2
Based on that a hydrophobic aerogel powder is incompatible with a hydrophilic solvent and suspended on a surface thereof, the hydrophobic aerogel powder can't be subject to a dispersion process in the hydrophilic solvent.
Implementation Method 3
the hydrophilic alkoxysilane compound spreads outwardly to perform the condensation so as to form a hydrophilic shell
Implementation Method 4
a precursor (e.g. alkoxysilane or tetramethoxysilane) and an organic solvent are mixed well, and then an acidic catalyst is added thereto to perform hydrolysis
Implementation Method 5
a basic catalyst is added thereto to perform condensation. During the condensation reaction, a sol is formed and then molecules of the sol are linked with bonds to form a macromolecule semisolid gel.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for producing an aerogel granule having a hydrophobic-hydrophilic bipolar core-shell structure combines an aerogel precursor having a hydrophilic structure with another aerogel precursor having a hydrophobic structure. The method comprises the steps of: mixing a hydrophilic alkoxysilane compound, a hydrophobic alkyl-substituted alkoxysilane compound, and an organic solvent to form a mixture; adding an acidic catalyst to the mixture to perform hydrolysis; adding a basic catalyst to the hydrolyzed mixture to perform condensation, and during the condensation adding a dispersion solvent to the hydrolyzed mixture and stirring the hydrolyzed mixture to gelate so as to form the aerogel granule having a hydrophobic-hydrophilic bipolar core-shell structure.