A novel technique to supercritically dry alcogels to transparent silica aerogels at near ambient temperature is described. This supercritical drying occurs at ⩽ 40°C instead of at ≥ 270°C, by substituting liquid CO2 for the alcohol in the alcogel. The time required for drying is reduced from 2–3 days to 8–10 h. Light scattering, optical and micro-structural properties of aerogels produced by this process and by high-temperature supercritical drying are compared and shown to be similar.
BT - Materials Letters DA - 07/1985 DO - 10.1016/0167-577X(85)90077-1 IS - 9-10 LA - eng N1 -0167-577Xdoi: DOI: 10.1016/0167-577X(85)90077-1
N2 -A novel technique to supercritically dry alcogels to transparent silica aerogels at near ambient temperature is described. This supercritical drying occurs at ⩽ 40°C instead of at ≥ 270°C, by substituting liquid CO2 for the alcohol in the alcogel. The time required for drying is reduced from 2–3 days to 8–10 h. Light scattering, optical and micro-structural properties of aerogels produced by this process and by high-temperature supercritical drying are compared and shown to be similar.
PY - 1985 SP - 363 EP - 367 T2 - Materials Letters TI - Ambient-temperature supercritical drying of transparent silica aerogels VL - 3 ER -