Process for forming transparent aerogel insulating arrays

Patent · Wed Sep 04 00:00:00 EDT 1985

OSTI ID:5459282

Tewari, P H; Hunt, A J

An improved supercritical drying process for forming transparent silica aerogel arrays is described. The process is of the type utilizing the steps of hydrolyzing and condensing aloxides to form alcogels. A subsequent step removes the alcohol to form aerogels. The improvement includes the additional step, after alcogels are formed, of substituting a solvent, such as CO/sub 2/, for the alcohol in the alcogels, the solvent having a critical temperature less than the critical temperature of the alcohol. The resulting gels are dried at a supercritical temperature for the selected solvent, such as CO/sub 2/, to thereby provide a transparent aerogel array within a substantially reduced (days-to-hours) time period. The supercritical drying occurs at about 40/sup 0/C instead of at about 270/sup 0/C. The improved process provides increased yields of large scale, structurally sound arrays. The transparent aerogel array, formed in sheets or slabs, as made in accordance with the improved process, can replace the air gap within a double glazed window, for example, to provide a substantial reduction in heat transfer. The thus formed transparent aerogel arrays may also be utilized, for example, in windows of refrigerators and ovens, or in the walls and doors thereof or as the active material in detectors for analyzing high energy elementary particles or cosmic rays.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC03-76SF00098
• Assignee: Dept. of Energy
• Application Number: ON: DE86013773
• OSTI ID: 5459282
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
SILICA
PRODUCTION
WINDOWS
DOUBLE GLAZING
MATERIALS
ALCOHOLS
DRYING
GELS
CHALCOGENIDES
COLLOIDS
COVERINGS
DISPERSIONS
GLAZING
HYDROXY COMPOUNDS
MINERALS
OPENINGS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDE MINERALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SILICON OXIDES
360601* - Other Materials- Preparation & Manufacture
320100 - Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization- Buildings