Discover a rigorous treatment of aerogels processing and techniques for characterization with this easy-to-use reference. Presents the basics of aerogel synthesis and gelation to open porous nanostructures, and the processing of wet gels like ambient and supercritical drying leading to aerogels. Describes their essential properties with their measurement techniques and theoretical models used to analyse relations to their nanostructure. Linking the fundamentals and with practical applications, this is a useful toolkit for advanced undergraduates, and graduate students doing research in material and polymer science, physical chemistry, and chemical and environmental engineering.
Aerogels are the lightest solids known. Up to 1000 times lighter than glass and with a density as low as only four times that of air, they show very high thermal, electrical and acoustic insulation values and hold many entries in Guinness World Records. Originally based on silica, R&D efforts have extended this class of materials to non-silicate inorganic oxides, natural and synthetic organic polymers, carbon, metal and ceramic materials, etc. Composite systems involving polymer-crosslinked aerogels and interpenetrating hybrid networks have been developed and exhibit remarkable mechanical strength and flexibility. Even more exotic aerogels based on clays, chalcogenides, phosphides, quantum dots, and biopolymers such as chitosan are opening new applications for the construction, transportation, energy, defense and healthcare industries. Applications in electronics, chemistry, mechanics, engineering, energy production and storage, sensors, medicine, nanotechnology, military and aerospace, oil and gas recovery, thermal insulation and household uses are being developed with an estimated annual market growth rate of around 70% until 2015. The Aerogels Handbook summarizes state-of-the-art developments and processing of inorganic, organic, and composite aerogels, including the most important methods of synthesis, characterization as well as their typical applications and their possible market impact. Readers will find an exhaustive overview of all aerogel materials known today, their fabrication, upscaling aspects, physical and chemical properties, and most recent advances towards applications and commercial products, some of which are commercially available today. Key Features: •Edited and written by recognized worldwide leaders in the field •Appeals to a broad audience of materials scientists, chemists, and engineers in academic research and industrial R&D •Covers inorganic, organic, and composite aerogels •Describes military, aerospace, building industry, household, environmental, energy, and biomedical applications among others
Silica translucent aerogels are unique materials able to improve the thermal insulation performance of buildings without compromising daylight transmission. The aim of the book is to give a general overview on state of the art research on translucent aerogels and their applications in buildings and to provide a data set about thermal and physical properties, useful in buildings' energy performance simulation and design.Silica aerogels are nanostructured solid materials made of approximately 96% air and 4% silica. They show a thermal conductivity in the 0.012-0.020 W/mK range and excellent optical properties, especially visible transmission. They come in granular and monolithic form. Granular aerogels are relatively easy to produce and less expensive than monolithic panes, but show worse optical and thermal performance. Monolithic aerogels enable vision through the material, but their fabrication process is not developed at an industrial scale.The book collects the contributions of experts in the field of translucent aerogels from all over the world. The contents of the eight chapters are detailed as follows:Chapter 1 is the contribution from Union College, Schenectady (USA). The chapter reviews the chemical approaches to silica wet gels preparation, the drying methods used to yield monoliths, and the challenges and limitations associated with its production.Chapter 2 is a contribution from EMPA, Dübendorf (Switzerland). It is a review of current state of the art research on silica aerogel granulate production, including raw materials selection, hydrophobization strategies, and drying methodologies. Chapter 3 is a contribution from Takenaka Corporation, Tokyo (Japan). The main techniques for the optical properties evaluation are described and data are provided. An original application of translucent aerogels in buildings and future research topics are also proposed.Chapter 4 is a contribution from Recep Tayyip Erdogan University, Rize and Ataturk University, Erzurum (Turkey). A review of the thermal properties of aerogels is provided, highlighting their better performance when compared to conventional and superinsulation materials.Chapter 5 is a contribution from the University of Perugia, Perugia (Italy). The acoustic properties of both granular and monolithic systems are investigated. For example, the influence of granule size and layer thickness that is deepened for granular aerogels is discussed, while for the monolithic form, the little data that is currently available is reported on. Chapter 6 is a contribution from the University of Tuscia, Viterbo (Italy) and Buro Happold Ltd, London (UK). It is focused on Life Cycle Assessment of silica aerogel, showing the research challenges in understanding its environmental impact, lower than the one of conventional thermal insulating glazing systems.Chapter 7 is a contribution from the University of Lyon and INSA-Lyon, Lyon (France). An overview of measurement methods and modeling tools available in literature is provided and a summary of the main mechanical properties of both monolithic and granular aerogels is reported on.Chapter 8 is a contribution from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim and SINTEF, Trondheim (Norway). Authors present their experimental investigations on various aerogel systems in different building envelopes (new aerogel glass material, aerogel-incorporated concrete, and so forth).
This new volume focuses on the limitations, properties, and models in the chemistry and physics of engineering materials that have potential for applications in several disciplines of engineering and science. Contributions range from new methods to novel applications of existing methods. The collection of topics in this volume reflects the diversity of recent advances in chemistry and physics of engineering materials with a broad perspective that will be useful for scientists as well as for graduate students and engineers. This new book presents leading-edge research from around the world. Topics in the book include: • aerogels materials and technology • diffusion dynamics in nanomaterials • entropic nomograms • structural analyses of particulate-filled polymer nanocomposites mechanical properties • protection of rubbers against aging • structure-property correlation and forecast of corrosion This volume is also sold as part of a two-volume set. Volume 1 focuses on modern analytic methodologies in the chemistry and physics of engineering materials.
This book contains the papers presented at the "First International Sympo st sium on Aerogels (1 ISA)", held in September 1985 at. the University of Wiirzburg, Fed. Rep. of Germany. It was the first meet.ing of this kind, wit.h participants from several European count.ries, the United States of America, Canada, South America, and Africa. The meeting was interdisciplinary, with most of the participants being physicists, chemists or material scientists ei ther from universities or from industrial research institutes. Let me try to shed some light upon the class of substances the symposium was about: Aerogels are extremely porous high-tech materials, consisting ei ther of silica, alumina, zirconia, stannic or tungsten oxide or mixtures of these oxides. Due to their high porosity (up t.o 99%!) and t.heir large inner surface, aerogels serve as especially active catalysts or as catalytic subst.rates, as adsorbents, fillers, reinforcement agents, pigments and gellifying agents. Silica aerogels as translucent or transparent superinsulating fillers in window systems could help to considerably reduce thermal losses in windows and to improve the energy balance in passive solar systems. Aerogels also have fas cinating acoustic properties - the sound velocity can be as low as 100 m/s! The production of aerogels starts with the controlled conversion of a sol into a gel: The growth of clusters or polymer chains from a chemical solution, the cross-linking of these primary entities and the formation of a coherent network - still embedded in a liquid.
This book presents a broad, general introduction to the processing of Sol-Gel technologies. This updated volume serves as a general handbook for researchers and students entering the field. This new edition provides updates in fields that have undergone rapid developments, such as Ceramics, Catalysis, Chromatropgraphy, biomaterials, glass science, and optics. It provides a simple, compact resource that can also be used in graduate-level materials science courses.
Advances in Aerogel Composites for Environmental Remediation presents both contextual information about aerogels and details about their application in environmental remediation. A wide variety of aerogels are discussed, ranging from common to advanced and from natural to synthetic. By exploring ongoing research and developments in the environmental remediation technologies using aerogel and its composites, this book addresses common day-to-day environmental problems and presents solutions to the use of aerogel materials. The chapters discuss fabrication of various aerogel composites, along with their design and applications toward different environmental remediation technologies. Additionally, the properties and advantages of aerogels are compared and contrasted to those of traditional materials. Given the consistent increase in environmental pollution, there is an urgent need to explore new materials for advances in remediation technology. Advances in Aerogel Composites for Environmental Remediation brings researchers and practitioners in the fields of environmental remediation, environmental science, and engineering to the forefront of remediation technologies with a thorough breakdown of the benefits of and techniques relevant to aerogel composites. Covers basic properties, unique properties, and fabrication techniques of aerogels, from basic silica aerogels to present-day conventional aerogels Discusses most of the major environmental remediation techniques and the advantages of using aerogels for these remediation techniques in comparison to using traditional methods Presents future prospects for utilizing aerogels in modern day-to-day life and in the fabrication of tangible new products
This indispensable handbook provides comprehensive coverage of the current state-of-the-art in inorganic, organic, and composite aerogels – from synthesis and characterization to cutting-edge applications and their potential market impact. Built upon Springer’s successful Aerogels Handbook published in 2011, this handbook features extensive revisions and timely updates, reflecting the changes in this fast-growing field. Aerogels are the lightest solids known to man. Up to 1000 times lighter than glass and with a density only four times that of air, they possess extraordinarily high thermal, electrical, and acoustic insulation properties, and boast numerous entries in Guinness World Records. Originally based on silica, R&D efforts have extended this class of materials to incorporate non-silicate inorganic oxides, natural and synthetic organic polymers, carbon, metal, and ceramic materials. Composite systems involving polymer-crosslinked aerogels and interpenetrating hybrid networks have been developed and exhibit remarkable mechanical strength and flexibility. Even more exotic aerogels based on clays, chalcogenides, phosphides, quantum dots, and biopolymers such as chitosan are opening new applications for the construction, transportation, energy, defense and healthcare industries. Applications in electronics, chemistry, mechanics, engineering, energy production and storage, sensors, medicine, nanotechnology, military and aerospace, oil and gas recovery, thermal insulation, and household uses are being developed. Readers of this fully updated and expanded edition will find an exhaustive source for all aerogel materials known today, their fabrication, upscaling aspects, physical and chemical properties, and the most recent advances towards applications and commercial use. This key reference is essential reading for a combined audience of graduate students, academic researchers, and industry professionals.
This book explores the improvement in thermal insulation properties of protein-based silica aerogel composites fabricated by a novel, inexpensive and feasible method. The resulting material exhibits polymeric foam behavior including high compressibility, super-hydrophobic qualities and excellent strain recovery in addition to low thermal conductivity. The fabrication methodologies are explained in great detail and represented in flowcharts for easy reference and understanding. This monograph gives readers a new perspective on composite fabrication using methods other than the traditional ones and explores the endless ways of altering the composition to modify the properties of the silica aerogel composites. Applications for this novel composite are diverse and range from those in the pharmaceutical and aerospace industries to the oil and gas industries.
Sol-Gel Science: The Physics and Chemistry of Sol-Gel Processing presents the physical and chemical principles of the sol-gel process. The book emphasizes the science behind sol-gel processing with a chapter devoted to applications. The first chapter introduces basic terminology, provides a brief historical sketch, and identifies some excellent texts for background reading. Chapters 2 and 3 discuss the mechanisms of hydrolysis and condensation for nonsilicate and silicate systems. Chapter 4 deals with stabilization and gelation of sols. Chapter 5 reviews theories of gelation and examines the predicted and observed changes in the properties of a sol in the vicinity of the gel point. Chapter 6 describes the changes in structure and properties that occur during aging of a gel in its pore liquor (or some other liquid). The discussion of drying is divided into two parts, with the theory concentrated in Chapter 7 and the phenomenology in Chapter 8. The structure of dried gels is explored in Chapter 9. Chapter 10 shows the possibility of using the gel as a substrate for chemical reactions or of modifying the bulk composition of the resulting ceramic by performing a surface reaction (such as nitridation) on the gel. Chapter 11 reviews the theory and practice of sintering, describing the mechanisms that govern densification of amorphous and crystalline materials, and showing the advantages of avoiding crystallization before sintering is complete. The properties of gel-derived and conventional ceramics are discussed in Chapter 12. The preparation of films is such an important aspect of sol-gel technology that the fundamentals of film formation are treated at length in Chapter 13. Films and other applications are briefly reviewed in Chapter 14. Materials scientists and researchers in the field of sol-gel processing will find the book invaluable.
