Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-l7hp2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-29T07:23:36.627Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Precursor Chemistry and the Structure of Silica Aerogels*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 February 2011

D. W. Schaefer
Affiliation:
Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185–5800
C. J. Brinker
Affiliation:
Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185–5800
J. P. Wilcoxon
Affiliation:
Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM 87185–5800
D.-Q. Wu
Affiliation:
Chemistry Department, State University of New York, Stony Brook, NY 11794–3400
J. C. Phillips
Affiliation:
Chemistry Dept., State University of New York, Chemistry Dept., Buffalo, NY 11794–3400, and SUNY X3 Beamline, National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS), Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973
B. Chu
Affiliation:
Chemistry Department, State University of New York, Stony Brook, NY 11794–3400
Get access

Abstract

Small-angle X-ray scattering is used to characterize the structure of aerogels prepared by two-stage polymerization processes. Second-stage catalysis controls the resistance to collapse during drying with the base-catalyzed system being most resistant. Base catalysis in the second stage leads to compaction of the polymer network on short length scales. This short-scale rigidity makes the networks sufficiently robust to withstand the surface tension forces present during solvent extraction and re-exposure to the atmosphere. Aging in solution also improves aerogel quality. In this case, a dissolution-repolymerization process leads to short length scale circuits and improved rigidity.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1988

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

**

B. Chu gratefully acknowledge support of this work by the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-FG-02-87ER45237AO01 and the SUNY Beamline under Contract No. DE-FG-02-86ER45231A001 and National Synchrotron Light Source under Contract No. DE-ACO2-76CH00016.

***

J. C. Phillips gratefully acknowledge support of this work by the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-FG-02-87ER45237AO01 and the SUNY Beamline under Contract No. DE-FG-02-86ER45231A001 and National Synchrotron Light Source under Contract No. DE-ACO2-76CH00016.

*

This work performed at Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM and supported by the U.S. Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC-04-76DP00789 for the Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Materials Science.

References

REFERENCES

1. Schaefer, D. W. and Keefer, K. D., in Better Ceramics Through Chemistry II, edited by Brinker, C. J., Clark, D. E., and Ulrich, D. R. (Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 73, Pittsburgh, PA 1987) p. 277.Google Scholar
2. Schaefer, D. W., Wilcoxon, J. P., Keefer, K. D., Bunker, B. C., Pearson, R. K., Thomas, I. M., and Miller, D. E., in Physics and Chemistry of Porous Media II, edited by Banavar, J. R., Koplik, Joel, and Winkler, K. W., (Am. Inst. Phys. Conf. Proc. 154, New York, 1987) p. 63.Google Scholar
3. Brinker, C. J., Keefer, K. D., Schaefer, D. W. and Ashley, C.S., J. Non-Cryst. Solids 48. 47 (1982).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4. Chu, B., Wu, D.-Q. and Wu, C., Rev. Sci. Inst. 58, 1158 (1987).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5. Chu, B., Phillips, J. C., Wu, D.-Q. in Polymer Research at Synchtrotron Sources edited by Rüssel, T. P. and Noland, A. N.. Report #BNL 51847, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY, pp. 126132 (1985).Google Scholar
6. Phillips, J. C., Baldwin, K. J., Lehnert, W. F., Legrand, A. P., and Prewitt, C. T., Nucl. Inst, and Meth. in Phys. Resch., A246 182.Google Scholar
7. Schaefer, D. W. and Keefer, K. D., Phys. Rev. Lett. 53, 1383 (1984).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8. Schaefer, D. W. in Scattering Deformation and Fracture in Polymers, edited by Wignall, G. D., Crist, B., Russell, T. P., and Thomas, E. L., (Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 79, Pittsburgh, PA, 1987) p. 47.Google Scholar
9. Assink, R. A. and Kay, B. D., in Better Ceramics Through Chemistry, edited by Brinker, C. J., Clark, D. E., and Ulrich, D. R., (Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 32, Pittsburgh, PA, 1984) p. 301.Google Scholar
10. Kelts, L. W., Effinger, N. J., and Meipolder, S. M., J. Non-Cryst. Solids 83, 353 (1986).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
11. Kolb, M. and Juliién, R., J. Phys. Lett. (Orsay) 45, L977 (1984).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
12. Keefer, K. D. in Better Ceramics Through Chemistry II, edited by Brinker, C. J., Clark, D. E., and Ulrich, D. R. (Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 73, Pittsburgh, PA, 1987) p. 15.Google Scholar
13. Keefer, K. D. and Schaefer, D. W., Phys. Rev. Lett. 5. 6, 2376 (1986).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
14. Her, R. K., The Chemistry of Silica, (New York, John Wiley, 1979).Google Scholar