It is an object of the invention to provide a rapid and economically viable process which is notable for efficient use of material, especially of the silylating agent, and by means of which organically modified lyo- or aerogels are obtained in a rapid and simple manner. This object is achieved by virtue of the invention providing a process for producing organically modified gels selected from lyo- and aerosols by (i) emulsifying a basic polar phase comprising water and starting materials for silicatic gels in a nonpolar phase containing a water-immiscible precursor for an active silylating agent, (ii) starting formation of gel and ageing by lowering the pH, and then (iii) starting the silylation and the exchange of solvent by lowering the pH. If the gels are aerogels, the gels provided can be used for thermal and/or acoustic insulation.

A system and method for producing an aerogel composite material includes a reaction vessel having a movable carrier basket for receiving a plurality of fiber mats, and a plurality of plates to space the fiber mats apart from one another. Once the plates have been removed, there are gaps between the aerogel insulating boards, through which hot drying air can be blown during a drying process. The method has the advantage that the quantities of solvents and reagents to be disposed of are minimal, and in addition thereto, no complex work-up processes are necessary.

A process for separations and recovery from mixtures via specific adsorption using high-surface area, flexible silica-based nanostructured gel adsorbents and articles of manufacture relating to same.

A method for preparing a monolithic nanoporous silicate sol-gel material for modulating the pore size distribution for one single starting composition without the addition of a structuring agent. The method includes the following steps: a) synthesising a gel from at least one organosilylated precursor, the synthesis being carried out in an aqueous medium, optionally including an organic solvent and without a structuring agent, and b) drying the gel obtained in step a) at a temperature between 10 C. and 70 C., preferably between 15 C. and 55 C. and more preferably between 20 C. and 40 C., in a gas flow in a drying chamber to obtain a monolithic nanoporous silicate sol-gel material and a residual relative humidity in the drying chamber of between 0.1 and 20%, preferably between 0.5 and 10% and more preferably about 5%.

A method for producing a core-shell hybrid material made of an activated carbon core surrounded by a mesoporous silica sol-gel shell, the method including the formation of a mesoporous silica sol-gel shell around activated carbon particles. Also, the core-shell hybrid material formed by the method, and its use as a filtering material in filtering systems.

A method for producing core-shell porous silica particles including: a step of forming a shell precursor by continuously adding a silica source-containing liquid into an aqueous suspension containing non-porous silica particles, a cationic surfactant, a basic catalyst, and an alcohol under conditions that a pH of the reaction system is from 7 to 13 and a pH value change of the reaction system is 1.5/10 min to form a shell precursor on a surface of non-porous silica particles; and a step of forming a porous shell by removing the cationic surfactant from the shell precursor, to form a porous shell; wherein in the step of forming the shell precursor, when a specific surface area of the non-porous silica particles is Xm.sup.2/g, a used amount of the non-porous silica particles is Yg, and a used amount of the silica source is Zcm.sup.3, Z/(XY) being from 0.01 to 10.

A wet gel granule of aerogel is prepared by the following steps: mixing step: mixing with an organic mixed solvent to form a mixed solution; hydrolysis step: adding an acid catalyst to the mixed solution for carrying out a hydrolysis reaction, and adding a dispersion solvent during the condensation reaction, and agitating to gel the mixed solution during agitation and produce multiple hydrophilic or hydrophobic wet gel granules of aerogel. The overall preparation speed can be shortened quickly and at the same time the hydrophilic or hydrophobic wet gel granules of aerogel wet glue particles are prepared to increase the production efficiency of the wet gel granules of aerogel.

A porous SiO2 xerogel is produced using temporary pore fillers or solid skeletal supports, which are removed by thermal oxidation at the end of the production process (e.g. carbon or organic), by means of a sol-gel-process by subcritical drying of the gel. The SiO.sub.2 xerogel includes pores having a pore size from more than 50 nm to less than 1000 nm. The SiO.sub.2 xerogel has a density of less than 400 kg/m.sup.3, a carbon content of less than 10%, a thermal conductivity at 800 C. below 0.060 W/m*K, a thermal conductivity at 400 C. below 0.040 W/m*K, and a thermal conductivity at 200 C. below 0.030 W/m*K.

Xerogels and compositions comprising xerogels comprising a transition metal oxide and silicon oxide xerogel matrix. The xerogels and compositions can be made from mixtures of transition metal alkoxide(s) and tetraalkoxysilane(s) and, optionally, alkyltrialkoxysilane(s), aminoalkyl-, alkylaminoalkyl-, dialkylaminoalkyltrialkoxysilane(s), or a combination thereof. The xerogels and compositions can be used as antifouling coatings on, for example; boats.

A method for preparing a sol-gel derived SiO.sub.2 having a very fast bioresorption rate where a sol-gel derived SiO.sub.2 is prepared from a sol comprising water, an alkoxide or inorganic silicate and a lower alcohol using a mineral acid or a base as a catalyst and the sol is aged and dried. The method uses a pH from 1.5 to 2.5, a molar ratio of water to the alkoxide or inorganic silicate of 0.5 to 2.5, a molar ratio of alcohol to the alkoxide or inorganic silicate is 0.5; and the sol is either let to gel without induced changes of composition and without forced drying of the sol, or a change of composition is induced; and within a time of 30 minutes, from the induced change forced drying of the sol is carried out or initiated.