Organically modified silicate aerogels, ``Aeromosils``
- Univ. of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States). Dept. of Materials Science and Engineering
Aerogels derived from sol-gel oxides such as silica have become quite scientifically popular because of their extremely low densities, high surface areas, and their interesting optical, dielectric, thermal and acoustic properties. However, their commercial applicability has thus far been rather limited, due in great part to their brittleness and hydrophilicity. In prior work by the research group, modifying silicate gel structures with flexible, organic containing polymers such as polydimethylsiloxane imparted significant compliance (even rubbery behavior) and hydrophobicity. These materials have been referred to as Ormosils. This study expounds on the current effort to extend these desirable properties to aerogels, and in-so-doing, creating novel ``Aeromosils``. Reactive incorporation of hydroxy-terminal polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) into silica sol-gels was made using both acid and two-step acid/base catalyzed processes. Aerogels were derived by employing the supercritical CO{sub 2} technique. Analyses of microstructure were made using nitrogen adsorption (BET surface area and pore size distribution), and some mechanical strengths were derived from tensile strength testing. Interesting Aeromosil properties obtained include optical transparency, surface areas of up to 1,200 m{sup 2}/g, rubberiness, and better strength than corresponding silica aerogels with elongations at break exceeding 5% in some cases.
- OSTI ID:
- 427707
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-960401-; ISBN 1-55899-338-X; TRN: IM9708%%33
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Spring meeting of the Materials Research Society (MRS), San Francisco, CA (United States), 8-12 Apr 1996; Other Information: PBD: 1996; Related Information: Is Part Of Better ceramics through chemistry 7: Organic/inorganic hybrid materials; Coltrain, B.K. [ed.] [Eastman Kodak Co., Rochester, NY (United States)]; Sanchez, C. [ed.] [Univ. Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris (France)]; Schaefer, D.W. [ed.] [Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)]; Wilkes, G.L. [ed.] [Virginia Polytechnic Inst. and State Univ., Blacksburg, VA (United States)]; PB: 695 p.; Materials Research Society symposium proceedings, Volume 435
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Effect of temperature on properties of Ormosils
Sol-gel strategies for pore size control of high-surface-area transition-metal oxide aerogels