CPC B01J 13/0091 (2013.01) [C01B 33/1585 (2013.01); C08G 77/388 (2013.01); C08J 3/075 (2013.01); C01P 2006/60 (2013.01); C08J 2205/026 (2013.01); C08J 2333/02 (2013.01); C08J 2383/04 (2013.01); C08J 2383/08 (2013.01)] | 19 Claims |
1. A method for producing an aerogel, comprising:
combining a silicon alkoxide or an alkoxide of other transition metals, an acrylate or acrylated monomer and/or an di-isocyanate or tri-isocyanate monomer, a silica derivatizer for derivatizing the resulting pores, the silica derivatizer being an organosilane carrying a polymerizable moiety, a polymerization initiator, being a thermal initiator or a photoinitiator, a solvent, and a catalyst, the catalyst being an acid, a base or a catalyst containing fluoride, as a composition;
pouring the composition into a mold;
allowing the composition to form a wet gel by way of hydrolysis of the alkoxide and condensation of the hydrolyzed alkoxide, the gelation being catalysed by the catalyst;
removing solvents from the wet gel; then
exposing the wet gel to a light or heat stimulus with sufficient intensity to catalyze cross-linking of the wet gel by the polymerization initiator; and
freeze drying the cross-linked wet gel to form an aerogel,
wherein said removing solvent steps increases transparency of the aerogel compared to process where removing solvents is not performed.
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