Tailoring of pores in aerogels using 3D printed structures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12257562-B2
Application number	US-202218072436-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 30, 2022
Priority date	Jul 12, 2016
Publication date	Mar 25, 2025
Grant date	Mar 25, 2025

Abstract

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.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
acquiring a three-dimensional printed template created using an additive manufacturing technique, wherein lengths of at least some continuous portions of the template extend an entire length of the template;
infilling the template with an aerogel precursor solution;
allowing formation of a sol-gel; and
converting the sol-gel to an aerogel.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising removing the template.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the template is removed by pyrolization.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the template is removed by application of a solvent thereto.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the aerogel has defined regions with different densities upon removal of the template therefrom.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the defined regions of different densities correspond to pores in the aerogel defined by features of the template.

7. The method of claim 2 , wherein a pore structure of the aerogel is defined by features of the template.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the pore structure includes a population of micron-size pores that correspond to an inner channel for mass transport across the aerogel.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the pore structure includes population of nanometer-size pores that correspond to nanoscale features on the template.

10. The method of claim 2 , wherein a pore structure of the aerogel is characterized as being oriented along one direction.

11. The method of claim 2 , wherein the continuous portions of the template comprise length scales of a log-pile architecture.

12. The method of claim 2 , wherein the aerogel has inner channels corresponding to outer walls of the template around which the aerogel was formed, wherein at least some of the channels extend continuously along an entire length of the aerogel.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein converting the sol-gel to the aerogel includes pyrolyzing the sol-gel.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the template remains after conversion of the sol-gel to the aerogel.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aerogel is carbonaceous.

16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the aerogel includes a metal oxide.

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

18. The method of claim 1 , comprising creating the template.

Assignees

• L Livermore Nat Security Llc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• C01B32/05

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

• B33Y10/00

  Processes of additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B33Y80/00

  Products made by additive manufacturing · CPC title

• C01B13/18

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

• B01J13/0091 Primary

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