Process for forming transparent aerogel insulating arrays
Abstract
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 activemore »
- Inventors:
- Issue Date:
- Research Org.:
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 5459282
- Application Number:
- ON: DE86013773
- Assignee:
- Dept. of Energy
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC03-76SF00098
- Resource Type:
- Patent
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 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
Citation Formats
Tewari, P H, and Hunt, A J. Process for forming transparent aerogel insulating arrays. United States: N. p., 1985.
Web.
Tewari, P H, & Hunt, A J. Process for forming transparent aerogel insulating arrays. United States.
Tewari, P H, and Hunt, A J. Wed .
"Process for forming transparent aerogel insulating arrays". United States.
@article{osti_5459282,
title = {Process for forming transparent aerogel insulating arrays},
author = {Tewari, P H and Hunt, A J},
abstractNote = {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.},
doi = {},
journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {1985},
month = {9}
}