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US 6,068,882 AGranted
Flexible aerogel superinsulation and its manufacture
AssigneeAspen Systems, Inc.
InventorJaesoek Ryu
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A thermal insulation is produced by forming aerogels interstitially within a fiber matrix. The resulting composite structures have substantially no fiber--fiber contacts. The insulating product is made by impregnating the fiber matrix with an aerogel forming precursor and supercritically drying the aerogel precursor under pressure. Drying is conducted prior to aging of the aerogel precursor.
Claims25
A process of preparing an improved aerogel-containing insulation product comprising the steps of:
- (a) dissolving a metal alkoxide in an organic solvent;
- (b) adding water to the metal alkoxide to cause hydrolysis and formation of an aerogel-forming precursor;
- (c) soaking a fibrous matrix having fiber--fiber contacts with the aerogel-forming precursor;
- and
- (d) supercritically drying the precursor at a pressure to form the aerogel-containing insulation product without aging of the soaked matrix and reducing the pressure at which the supercritical drying is performed;
- wherein the product contains aerogels distributed throughout the fibrous matrix and there are sufficiently few fiber--fiber contacts in the matrix that the R value is at least about 300/inch when tested at a vacuum of less than 2.times.10.sup.-5 Torr with a hot surface temperature of 280.degree. K. and a cold surface temperature of 77.degree. K.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.