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Effect of post-treatment (gel aging) on the properties of methyltrimethoxysilane based silica aerogels prepared by two-step sol–gel process

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Abstract

The properties of silica aerogels are highly dependent on the post-treatment steps like gel washing, gel aging and gel drying. The experimental results of the studies on one of the post-treatment steps i.e. gel aging effect on the physical and microstructural properties of methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) based silica aerogels, are reported. These hybrid aerogels were prepared by two step sol–gel process followed by supercritical drying. The molar ratio of MeOH/MTMS (M) was varied from 7 to 35 by keeping the H2O/MTMS (W) molar ratio constant at 4. The as prepared alcogels of different molar ratios were aged from 0 to 5 days. It was observed that 2 days of gel aging period is the optimum gel aging period for good quality aerogels in terms of low density, less volume shrinkage and high porosity. The well tailored network matrix with low density (0.04 g/cm3), less volume shrinkage (4.5%), low thermal conductivity (0.05 W/mK) and high porosity (98.84 %) was obtained for 2 days of gel aging period of M = 35. Further, the gelation time varied from 8 to 1 h depending on the M values. The gelation time was being more for lesser M values. The aerogels were characterized by bulk density, porosity, volume shrinkage, thermal conductivity, Scanning Electron Microscopy and the Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy.

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Acknowledgement

The authors are grateful to the Board of Research in Nuclear Sciences, Department of Atomic Energy (BRNS, DAE), Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Government of India, for the financial support for this work through a major research project on “Aerogels” (N0. 2007/37/18/BRNS/604). One of the authors, Mr. Digambar Y. Nadargi, is highly thankful to the BRNS, DAE, Mumbai for the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) fellowship under the same project. One of the authors, Mr. Sanjay S. Latthe, greatly acknowledges the University Grant commission (UGC), New Delhi, for providing “UGC Research Fellowship in Sciences for Meritorious Students”.

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  1. Air Glass Laboratory, Department of Physics, Shivaji University, Kolhapur, 416-004, Maharashtra, India

    Digambar Y. Nadargi, Sanjay S. Latthe & A. Venkateswara Rao

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  1. Digambar Y. Nadargi
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  2. Sanjay S. Latthe
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  3. A. Venkateswara Rao
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Correspondence to A. Venkateswara Rao.

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Nadargi, D.Y., Latthe, S.S. & Venkateswara Rao, A. Effect of post-treatment (gel aging) on the properties of methyltrimethoxysilane based silica aerogels prepared by two-step sol–gel process. J Sol-Gel Sci Technol 49, 53–59 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-008-1830-0

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