Description

Aerogels are materials exhibiting very interesting properties which make them quite attractive for different purposes: heat insulation, padding, particle detectors, catalysts, desiccants or medication support, among others. Their properties can be easily customized: their texture can be adapted by changing the precursor proportions during synthesis and their surface chemistry can be controlled by shifting their hydrophobicity value. Moreover, the possibility of producing hybrid aerogels makes all properties and requirements available, so these more-than-99%-air materials are well suited for aeronautical and aeroespace purposes. During our reseach, these materials were developed by using supercritical technology. These porous materials can have up to 99% porosity, which makes them quite light. However, being that porous, the air filling their pores can represent up to 40% of their total mass. Therefore, in applications where weight reduction is an advantage, avoiding this air content can make for a significant improvement. Surface-sealed porous materials can hold vacuum within their pores. This improvement reduces weight and thermal conductivity, and increases soundproofing.

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