The Synthesis and Polymer-Reinforced Mechanical Properties of SiO Aerogels: A Review

Overview

Journal Molecules

Publisher MDPI

Specialty Biology

Date 2023 Jul 29

PMID 37513406

Authors

Wang Zhan

Le Chen

Qinghong Kong

Lixia Li

Mingyi Chen

Juncheng Jiang

Weixi Li

Fan Shi

Zhiyuan Xu

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Silica aerogels are considered as the distinguished materials of the future due to their extremely low thermal conductivity, low density, and high surface area. They are widely used in construction engineering, aeronautical domains, environmental protection, heat storage, etc. However, their fragile mechanical properties are the bottleneck restricting the engineering application of silica aerogels. This review briefly introduces the synthesis of silica aerogels, including the processes of sol-gel chemistry, aging, and drying. The effects of different silicon sources on the mechanical properties of silica aerogels are summarized. Moreover, the reaction mechanism of the three stages is also described. Then, five types of polymers that are commonly used to enhance the mechanical properties of silica aerogels are listed, and the current research progress is introduced. Finally, the outlook and prospects of the silica aerogels are proposed, and this paper further summarizes the methods of different polymers to enhance silica aerogels.

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