Browse

Aerogels production consists of two main stages: preparation of the gel filled with solvent (alcohols, acetone or hexane) by polymerization or sol-gel process and its supercritical drying. The most energy consuming and complicated from a technical point of view is the drying step [1]. Supercritical drying allows keeping the internal structure by preventing collapse of pores. Supercritical conditions require the use of expensive highpressure apparatus and the process rate is limited by diffusion within the pores of...