Method for producing an aerogel material

A process for producing an aerogel material based on amorphous silica, comprising the following steps:

• a) preparing a mixture comprising silica sol, alcohol, and a hydrophobizing agent activatable by acid catalysis;
• b1) adding a base to the mixture formed in step a) and mixing the resulting mixture;
• b2) gelation of the mixture comprising silica sol obtained in step (b1) b1), resulting in the formation of a silica gel, and optional aging of the gel;
• c) adding a hydrophobization catalyst to the silica gel formed in step b2) and optionally aged, in-situ formation or controlled release of a hydrophobization catalyst, and initiation of the acid-catalyzed hydrophobization of the silica gel;
• d) removing the volatile constituents of the mixture formed in step c) by subcritical drying, resulting in the formation of the aerogel material;
• wherein at least steps b2) to d) are carried out in the same reactor and wherein:
• i) during said subcritical drying in step d), the reactor comprises an axis of symmetry that forms a horizontal angle of 10 to 45 degrees;
• and/or
• ii) during said subcritical drying in step d), a carrier gas is passed into the reactor and then exits after mixing with the gaseous constituents in the reactor.