Tailoring of pores in aerogels using 3D printed structures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11596916-B2
Application number	US-201615208506-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 12, 2016
Priority date	Jul 12, 2016
Publication date	Mar 7, 2023
Grant date	Mar 7, 2023

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes acquiring a three-dimensional printed template created using an additive manufacturing technique, infilling the template with an aerogel precursor solution, allowing formation of a sol-gel, and converting the sol-gel to an aerogel. In another embodiment, a product includes an aerogel having inner channels corresponding to outer walls of a three-dimensional printed template around which the aerogel was formed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A product, comprising:
an aerogel having inner channels corresponding to outer walls of a three-dimensional printed template around which the aerogel was formed,
wherein a length of some of the channels extends continuously along an entire length of the aerogel,
wherein the template is present in the product.

2. The product of claim 1 , wherein the aerogel is carbonaceous.

3. The product of claim 1 , wherein the aerogel includes a metal oxide.

4. The product of claim 1 , wherein the aerogel has distinct regions with different densities.

5. The product of claim 1 , wherein the template is created using a photo-activated resist.

6. The product of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the channels have straight longitudinal axes of at least 1 micron in length.

7. product of claim 1 , wherein the aerogel is spatially non-uniform.

8. The product of claim 1 , wherein the aerogel has a predefined gradient of density.

9. The product of claim 1 , wherein a shape of the inner channels corresponds directly to a shape of the outer walls of the three-dimensional printed template around which the aerogel was formed.

10. The product of claim 1 , wherein the inner channels are interconnected.

11. The product of claim 1 , wherein at least some of the channels have straight longitudinal axes.

12. The product of claim 1 , wherein the aerogel comprises a first set of channels having a first size and a second set of channels having a second size, wherein the first size and the second size are different.

13. A method of forming the product in claim 1 , comprising:
acquiring a three-dimensional printed template created using an additive manufacturing technique;
infilling the template with an aerogel precursor solution;
allowing formation of a sol-gel; and
converting the sol-gel to the aerogel.

14. The method of claim 13 , comprising removing the template.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the template is removed by a process selected from the group consisting of: pyrolization and application of a solvent thereto.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the aerogel has defined regions with different densities upon removal of the template therefrom.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein converting sol-gel to the aerogel includes pyrollyzing the sol-gel.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the template remains after conversion of the sol-gel to the aerogel.

Assignees

• L Livermore Nat Security Llc

Inventors

• Chandrasekaran Swetha
• Baumann Theodore F
• Biener Juergen
• Campbell Patrick
• Oakdale James S
• Worsley Marcus A

Classifications

• B01J13/0091 Primary

  Preparation of aerogels, e.g. xerogels · CPC title

• C01B32/05

  Preparation or purification of carbon not covered by groups C01B32/15, C01B32/20, C01B32/25, C01B32/30 · CPC title

• C01B13/18

  by thermal decomposition of compounds, e.g. of salts or hydroxides · CPC title

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B33Y80/00

  Products made by additive manufacturing · CPC title