Aerogel compositions and methods
AssigneeAspen Aerogels, Inc.
InventorsOwen Richard Evans, David J Mihalcik, Kathryn Elizabeth DeKrafft, Wenting Dong
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present disclosure provides an aerogel composition which is intrinsically hydrophobic without surface modification by a hydrophobizing agent, is durable and easy to handle, which has favorable performance in aqueous environments, and which also has favorable combustion and self-heating properties. Also provided is a method of preparing an aerogel composition which is intrinsically hydrophobic without surface modification by a hydrophobizing agent, is durable and easy to handle, which has favorable performance in aqueous environments, and which has favorable combustion and self-heating properties.
Claims7
A method comprising:
- providing a precursor solution comprising silica gel precursor materials and a solvent, wherein the precursor solution includes greater than 30% of at least one silica gel precursor material which is an alkylsilane having only one alkyl group attached to silicon;
- providing a basic catalyst solution wherein the basic catalyst is a catalytic amount of guanidine hydroxide, and wherein the basic catalyst allows the silica gel precursor materials to transition into a gel composition;
- combining the precursor solution and the basic catalyst solution;
- allowing the silica gel precursor materials to transition into a gel composition;
- and
- extracting at least a portion of the solvent from the gel composition to obtain a silica-based aerogel composition, wherein the silica-based aerogel composition is intrinsically hydrophobic without surface modification with a hydrophobizing agent.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.