Methods for making wet gels and dried gels therefrom

A process for making a wet gel, comprising:

• mixing a hydroxybenzene compound, an aldehyde compound, a solvent, and an additive to provide a reaction mixture;
• reacting at least the hydroxybenzene compound and the aldehyde compound in the reaction mixture to produce a wet gel, wherein:
• the additive comprises a carboxylic acid and an anhydride,
• the reaction mixture comprises about 10 wt % to about 65 wt % of the hydroxybenzene compound, about 5 wt % to about 25 wt % of the aldehyde compound, about 25 wt % to about 75 wt % of the carboxylic acid, and about 0.5 wt % to about 10 wt % of the anhydride, based on the combined weight of the hydroxybenzene compound, the aldehyde compound, and the additive,
• the reaction mixture comprises about 35 wt % to about 85 wt % of the additive, based on the combined weight of the hydroxybenzene compound, the aldehyde compound, and the additive, and
• the reaction mixture comprises about 1 wt % to about 60 wt % of the solvent, based on the combined weight of the hydroxybenzene compound, the aldehyde compound, the solvent, and the additive.