The technology includes consecutively pumping an active pack and a displacement fluid into the near-wellbore region of a formation. The active pack is an emulsion system. The displacement fluid is an aqueous solution of calcium chloride or potassium chloride to which 1-2 vol % of IVV-1 or ChAS-M brand water repellent is added. Technical results include greater efficiency of geological and engineering operations involved in the killing of oil and gas wells, high heat stability and aggregate stability of the emulsion system for killing wells, and also the possibility of adjusting the viscosity properties of the emulsion system according to the porosity and permeability characteristics and the geological and physical characteristics of the near-wellbore region of a formation.

Compositions, methods, and articles of manufacture relating to a transparent/translucent insulating material formed by a hybrid silica gel composition made of porous silica particles joined with each other by silane crosslinking through a three dimensional silica network. In one embodiment, the hybrid silica gel includes small porous silica particles, and is made by a process that avoids energy intensive techniques.

Compositions, methods, and articles of manufacture relating to a transparent/translucent insulating material formed by a hybrid silica gel composition made of porous silica particles joined with each other by silane crosslinking through a three dimensional silica network. In one embodiment, the hybrid silica gel includes small porous silica particles, and is made by a process that avoids energy intensive techniques.

The use of a sol comprising a solvent, an alkoxide and a catalyst to prepare a water impermeable product is provided. Also provided is a water impermeable fibre-based product prepared using a sol. Further provided is a sol comprising a solvent, an alkoxide, a biopolymer, and a catalyst. A method of making a sol comprising a solvent, an alkoxide, a biopolymer, and a catalyst is also provided. The method comprises: a) dispersing a biopolymer in a solution comprising a catalyst and then adding an alkoxide; b) dispersing an alkoxide in a solvent, adding a catalyst and then adding a biopolymer; or c) dispersing an alkoxide in a solution comprising a catalyst and then adding a biopolymer. Yet further provided is a coated product wherein the product has been coated with a sol comprising a solvent, an alkoxide, a biopolymer, and a catalyst. A powder derived from a sol as described herein is also disclosed.

The use of a sol comprising a solvent, an alkoxide and a catalyst to prepare a water impermeable product is provided. Also provided is a water impermeable fibre-based product prepared using a sol. Further provided is a sol comprising a solvent, an alkoxide, a biopolymer, and a catalyst. A method of making a sol comprising a solvent, an alkoxide, a biopolymer, and a catalyst is also provided. The method comprises: a) dispersing a biopolymer in a solution comprising a catalyst and then adding an alkoxide; b) dispersing an alkoxide in a solvent, adding a catalyst and then adding a biopolymer; or c) dispersing an alkoxide in a solution comprising a catalyst and then adding a biopolymer. Yet further provided is a coated product wherein the product has been coated with a sol comprising a solvent, an alkoxide, a biopolymer, and a catalyst. A powder derived from a sol as described herein is also disclosed.

In various embodiments, novel methods of fabricating and/or packaging aerogels are provided.

In various embodiments, novel methods of fabricating and/or packaging aerogels are provided.

An ultra dense and ultra low power microhotplates using silica aerogel and method of making the same, comprising creating a sol-gel by impregnation of ethanol with functional colloidal alcogel particles is described. The technique further comprises forming tiny aerogel particles on the wafer and networking the particles together just by exposure to air during spin coating. The novelty of this technique is not limited to the processing of thin film and thick film silica aerogel.

An ultra dense and ultra low power microhotplates using silica aerogel and method of making the same, comprising creating a sol-gel by impregnation of ethanol with functional colloidal alcogel particles is described. The technique further comprises forming tiny aerogel particles on the wafer and networking the particles together just by exposure to air during spin coating. The novelty of this technique is not limited to the processing of thin film and thick film silica aerogel.

Methods of making robust bijels include dispersing metal oxide precursors and/or metal salts into at least one phase of a bijel and hydrolyzing and condensing the metal oxide precursors and/or metal salts in a sol-gel reaction to form sintered bridges between interfacially jammed surface-active nanoparticles. The methods can be used with any bijels, including those produced during solvent transfer-induced phase separation (STRIPS) methods and other methods. A robust bijel includes chemically sintered bridges between the interfacially jammed surface-active nanoparticles. Methods of making nanocatalyst-functionalized sintered bijels include adsorbing metal salts to a surface of sintered interfacially jammed nanoparticles of bijels, and reducing the metal precursors on the surface of the sintered nanoparticles. Nanocatalyst-functionalized sintered bijels include catalytically active metal or metal oxide nanocatalysts on a surface of the sintered interfacially jammed surface-active nanoparticles.