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A Short History of The Preparation of Aerogels and Carbogels

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Sol-Gel Processing and Applications

Abstract

Since their invention by Kistler in 1931, the production of aerogels has been marked by at least two major breakthroughs. In the early thirties inorganic salts were used as precursors in the sol-gel base process involving the formation of an aquagel, then an alcogel and finally an inorganic aerogel. Later, in the late sixties organic precursors were developed which allowed a much shorter route to obtain the aerogel by eliminating the aquagelorga(alco)gel step. These methods can be named high temperature ones. In the middle eighties, a low temperature process was proposed involving a supercritical drying with respect to liquid carbon dioxide. Finally in the late eighties this last process was adapted to the production of organic polymeric aerogels too. In both last cases we propose to call carbogels the ex-CO2 aerogels.

Many examples of processes are described in the full paper concerning especially silica aero-and carbo-gels. Monolithic or powder aero-and carbo-gels will be equally considered. Industrial processes are also briefly depicted (BASF, Airglass, Thermalux and CFT Tech).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire des Matériaux et Procédés Catalytiques - ISM, Université Claude Bernard LYON I, 43 bd du 11 novembre 1918, 69622, Villeurbanne, France

    G. M. Pajonk

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  1. G. M. Pajonk
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  1. The Attia Applied Sciences Incorporated, TAASI Corporation, Columbus, Ohio, USA

    Yosry A. Attia

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Pajonk, G.M. (1994). A Short History of The Preparation of Aerogels and Carbogels. In: Attia, Y.A. (eds) Sol-Gel Processing and Applications. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-2570-7_18

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-2570-7_18

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

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