System And Method For Forming Activated Carbon Aerogels And Performing 3D Printing
AssigneeLawrence Livermore National Laboratory, LLC
InventorsSwetha CHANDRASEKARAN, Theodore F. BAUMANN, Marcus A. WORSLEY
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Abstract
Making a carbon aerogel involves 3-D printing an ink to make a printed part, removing the solvent from the printed part, and carbonizing the printed part (with the solvent removed) to make the aerogel. The ink is based on a solution of a resorcinol-formaldehyde resin (RF resin), water, and an organic thickener. Advantageously, the RF resin contains an acid catalyst, which tends to produce carbon aerogels with higher surface areas upon activation than those produced from methods involving an ink composition containing a base catalyzed resin.
Claims19
A method of forming a carbon aerogel, comprising
- 3-D printing an ink to make a printed part, wherein the ink comprises solvent, a resorcinol-formaldehyde resin, and an organic thickener;
- removing the solvent from the printed part;
- and
- carbonizing the printed part to make the aerogel,
- wherein the resorcinol-formaldehyde resin comprises an acid catalyst and has a formaldehyde:resorcinol molar ratio greater than 1:1,
- wherein the thickener is soluble in water, is made of only C, H, and O atoms, and contains only ether or alcohol functional groups.
A 3-D printing ink, comprising:
- a solvent comprising water;
- an organic thickener;
- resorcinol and formaldehyde;
- and
- an acid catalyst that catalyzes a reaction between the resorcinol and formaldehyde,
- wherein the thickener is soluble in water, is made of only C, H, and O atoms, and contains only ether or alcohol functional groups.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.