Polymeric aerogel composite and synthesis by ambient and freeze-drying

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12077642-B2
Application number	US-201917059804-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2019
Priority date	Jun 1, 2018
Publication date	Sep 3, 2024
Grant date	Sep 3, 2024

Abstract

Polymeric aerogels, articles made from the polymeric aerogels and methods of making the polymeric aerogels are provided. The aerogels are made e.g. from crosslinkable monomers such as isocyanate monomers or phenolic monomers and a filler comprising crosslinkable hydroxyl groups. The filler may be natural (e.g. wood flour) or synthetic. The aerogels and products made therefrom exhibit low thermal conductivity and are mechanically strong. Due to their physical properties, these materials are used as e.g. building envelope components, such as walls, roofs and frames, to improve the thermal performance thereof, and may be used in a variety of other applications such as sound and insulation barriers in mechanical equipment, cryogenic containers, etc.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method of forming a polymeric aerogel, comprising:
forming a mixture from at least one monomer, an organic solvent, and a filler comprising hydroxyl groups;
forming a gel by
polymerizing the at least one monomer in the mixture, thereby forming polymer chains, and
cross-linking the polymer chains to the hydroxyl groups of the filler comprising hydroxyl groups;

aging the gel in a mold or extrusion vessel;
removing or extruding the gel from the mold or extrusion vessel; and
drying the gel to form the aerogel;

wherein the at least one monomer is an isocyanate monomer or a phenolic monomer.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein drying is performed at ambient temperature and ambient pressure.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the filler comprising hydroxyl groups fillers is wood flour.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising printing the gel with a three-dimensional printing apparatus prior to said drying step.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of forming a gel is performed at a temperature of from 20-40° C.

Assignees

• Univ Virginia Commonwealth

Inventors

• Bertino Massimo
• Czlonka Sylwia

Classifications

• C08L75/02

  Polyureas · CPC title

• C08L61/12

  with polyhydric phenols · CPC title

• C08J2497/02

  Lignocellulosic material, e.g. wood, straw or bagasse · CPC title

• C08J2401/02

  Cellulose; Modified cellulose · CPC title

• C08J2375/04

  Polyurethanes · CPC title