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Sodium Silicate Based Aerogels via Ambient Pressure Drying

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Aerogels Handbook

Part of the book series: Advances in Sol-Gel Derived Materials and Technologies ((Adv.Sol-Gel Deriv. Materials Technol.))

Abstract

The first step in the preparation of silica aerogels is a sol–gel process producing a gel. This is followed by drying of the gel by either supercritical drying (SCD) or ambient pressure drying (APD). Traditionally, silica aerogels are prepared by the more energy-intensive and -expensive SCD method using alkoxide precursors such as tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) or tetramethoxysilane (TMOS). This choice partly restricts the commercialization of aerogels. Recent developments have shown great potential of the APD as an alternative method employing sodium silicate (Na2SiO3) as a purely inorganic precursor. The properties of such aerogels are very similar to those obtained by more conventional methods. This chapter focuses on the preparation of sodium silicate based aerogels via APD and the effect of various parameters on their physicochemical properties. The process chemistry is further contrasted with factors relevant for large-scale production.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Air Glass Laboratory, Department of Physics, Shivaji University, 41600, Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India

    A. Venkateswara Rao, Uzma K. H. Bangi & A. Parvathy Rao

  2. Laboratoire des Matériaux et Procédés Catalytiques, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, 43 Boulevard du 11 novembre 1918, 69622, Villeurbanne, France

    G. M. Pajonk

  3. Building Materials Group, Department of Building Science and Technology, Empa – Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland

    Matthias M. Koebel

Authors
  1. A. Venkateswara Rao
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  2. G. M. Pajonk
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  3. Uzma K. H. Bangi
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  4. A. Parvathy Rao
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  5. Matthias M. Koebel
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Correspondence to A. Venkateswara Rao .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Résidence Vert-Pré, Ch. des Placettes 6, Bottens, CH-1041, Switzerland

    Michel A. Aegerter

  2. Technology, Department of Chemistry, Missouri University of Science &, Rolla, 65409, Missouri, USA

    Nicholas Leventis

  3. , Building Technologies Laboratory, Empa, Überlandstrasse 129, Dübendorf, CH-8600, Switzerland

    Matthias M. Koebel

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Rao, A.V., Pajonk, G.M., Bangi, U.K.H., Rao, A.P., Koebel, M.M. (2011). Sodium Silicate Based Aerogels via Ambient Pressure Drying. In: Aegerter, M., Leventis, N., Koebel, M. (eds) Aerogels Handbook. Advances in Sol-Gel Derived Materials and Technologies. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-7589-8_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-7589-8_5

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