The present invention provides a method for producing an aerogel, comprising a sol generating step of generating, by hydrolyzing a silane oligomer, a sol containing a hydrolysis product of the silane oligomer; a wet gel generating step of obtaining a wet gel by gelation of the sol; and a drying step of drying the wet gel to obtain an aerogel, wherein a proportion of silicon atoms each bonded to three oxygen atoms in a total number of silicon atoms contained in the silane oligomer is 50% or more.

Silica aerogels with improved properties are disclosed together with methods for synthesizing such aerogels. The improved properties include lower thermal conductivity (better insulating capacity), lower acoustic velocity, lower dielectric constant and improved ductility. Greater tunability of the refractive index can also be achieved. The silica aerogels are prepared by a sol-gel processing method that provides better control of the formation or aerogel structures. Generally speaking, the improvements arise from control of the synthesis to create a morphology of primary clusters and diverse-sized secondary clusters of dense silica aerogels separated by less densely packed regions. By providing a broader range of secondary clusters and/or pore sizes and loose connectivity between clusters, reductions can be achieved in thermal conductivity and flexural modulus.

The present disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing an aerogel blanket. The method includes preparing a wet gel blanket including an organic solvent, introducing the wet gel blanket into a supercritical extraction device, and drying the wet gel blanket using supercritical carbon dioxide, decompressing the pressure of the supercritical extraction device, and supplying gaseous carbon dioxide to the decompressed supercritical extraction device to dry the wet gel blanket.

Aerogel materials, aerogel composites and the like may be improved by enhancing their smoke suppression, combustion reduction properties. It is additionally useful to provide aerogel based composites compatible with environments conducive to combustion. Such aerogel materials and methods of manufacturing the same are described.

The present invention relates to a method of preparing a hydrophobic metal oxide-silica composite aerogel, in which a degree of hydrophobicity may be controlled while having a high specific surface area and a low tap density, and a hydrophobic metal oxide-silica composite aerogel prepared thereby. The preparation method according to the present invention may not only have excellent productivity and economic efficiency due to a relatively simpler preparation process and shorter preparation time than the related art, but may also perform an effective surface modification reaction by using a small amount of a surface modifier. Thus, since the surface modification reaction may be easily performed by using only a very small amount of the surface modifier, a hydrophobic metal oxide-silica composite aerogel containing about 1 wt % to 2 wt % of carbon may be prepared.

The present invention relates to a method of preparing a hydrophobic metal oxide-silica composite aerogel, in which a degree of hydrophobicity may be controlled while having a high specific surface area and a low tap density, and a hydrophobic metal oxide-silica composite aerogel prepared thereby. The preparation method according to the present invention may not only have excellent productivity and economic efficiency due to a relatively simpler preparation process and shorter preparation time than the related art, but may also perform an effective surface modification reaction by using a small amount of a surface modifier. Thus, since the surface modification reaction may be easily performed by using only a very small amount of the surface modifier, a hydrophobic metal oxide-silica composite aerogel containing about 1 wt % to 2 wt % of carbon may be prepared.

Provided are a method of preparing a metal oxide-silica composite aerogel, and a metal oxide-silica composite aerogel having an excellent weight reduction property prepared by the method. The method includes a step of adding an acid catalyst to a first water glass solution to prepare an acidic water glass solution (step 1); a step of adding a metal ion solution to the acidic water glass solution to prepare a precursor solution (step 2); and a step of adding a second water glass solution to the precursor solution and performing a gelation reaction (step 3) to yield a metal oxide-silica composite wet gel, wherein, in steps 2 and 3, bubbling of an inert gas is performed during the adding of the metal ion solution or the second water glass solution, respectively.

Provided are a method of preparing a metal oxide-silica composite aerogel, and a metal oxide-silica composite aerogel having an excellent weight reduction property prepared by the method. The method includes a step of adding an acid catalyst to a first water glass solution to prepare an acidic water glass solution (step 1); a step of adding a metal ion solution to the acidic water glass solution to prepare a precursor solution (step 2); and a step of adding a second water glass solution to the precursor solution and performing a gelation reaction (step 3) to yield a metal oxide-silica composite wet gel, wherein, in steps 2 and 3, bubbling of an inert gas is performed during the adding of the metal ion solution or the second water glass solution, respectively.

The invention herein disclosed and claimed is a process for refining fiber from lignocellulosic biomass. The process provides refined fiber and agriculturally amenable co-products, with a virtually waste-free systems design.

The invention herein disclosed and claimed is a process for refining fiber from lignocellulosic biomass. The process provides refined fiber and agriculturally amenable co-products, with a virtually waste-free systems design.