US 11,912,579 B2
Aerogel compositions and methods
Owen Richard Evans, Chelmsford, MA (US); David J Mihalcik, Northborough, MA (US); Kathryn Elizabeth DeKrafft, Marlborough, MA (US); and Wenting Dong, Marlborough, MA (US)
Assigned to Aspen Aerogels, Inc., Northborough, MA (US)
Filed by Aspen Aerogels, Inc., Northborough, MA (US)
Filed on Apr. 6, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/223,043.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/006,003, filed on Apr. 6, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2021/0309527 A1, Oct. 7, 2021
Int. Cl. C01B 33/158 (2006.01); B01J 13/00 (2006.01); C01B 33/141 (2006.01); C01B 33/159 (2006.01)
CPC C01B 33/1585 (2013.01) [B01J 13/0091 (2013.01); C01B 33/1412 (2013.01); C01B 33/159 (2013.01); C01P 2006/37 (2013.01)] 7 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method comprising:
providing a precursor solution comprising silica gel precursor materials and a solvent, wherein the precursor solution includes greater than 30% of at least one silica gel precursor material which is an alkylsilane having only one alkyl group attached to silicon;
providing a basic catalyst solution wherein the basic catalyst is a catalytic amount of guanidine hydroxide, and wherein the basic catalyst allows the silica gel precursor materials to transition into a gel composition;
combining the precursor solution and the basic catalyst solution;
allowing the silica gel precursor materials to transition into a gel composition; and
extracting at least a portion of the solvent from the gel composition to obtain a silica-based aerogel composition, wherein the silica-based aerogel composition is intrinsically hydrophobic without surface modification with a hydrophobizing agent.