Drying polar solvents which do not form hydrogen bonds with a wet gel or aerogel, or eutectics or solvent mixtures with the drying solvents, are utilized in a solvent exchange with wet gels used in the formation of aerogels. Preferably the drying solvents are non-polar solvents. The drying solvent or solvent mixtures results in profoundly less shrinkage, thereby allowing for the production of aerogels of preferred materials properties.

Manufacturing a low-K dielectric organic/inorganic aerogel composite material and its application are provided. The manufacturing method comprises: (1) mixing; (2) hydrolysis; (3) condensation; (4) aging; (5) drying; (6) impregnating polymer solution; (7) phase separation and drying; and (8) cross-linking and curing. The manufacturing method can produce a low-K dielectric organic/inorganic aerogel composite material having a high strength. The low-K dielectric aerogel is in a porous structure, and its porosity is higher than 70% and its density is from 0.12 g/cm.sup.3 to 0.45 g/cm.sup.3. The dielectric property of the low-K dielectric aerogel decreases along with an increase of its porosity, wherein a dielectric constant thereof is from 1.28 to 1.89, and a dielectric loss thereof is from 0.052 to 0.023. The low-k dielectric aerogel can be used for a dielectric layer in a high-frequency circuit, an insulation layer in a semiconductor device or a microwave circuit in a communication integrated circuit.

A fiberglass reinforced aerogel composite may include coarse glass fibers, glass microfibers, aerogel particles, and a binder. The coarse glass fibers may have an average fiber diameter between about 8 μm and about 20 μm. The glass microfibers may have an average fiber diameter between about 0.5 μm and about 3 μm. The glass microfibers may be homogenously dispersed within the coarse glass fibers. The aerogel particles may be homogenously dispersed within the coarse glass fibers and the glass microfibers. The fiberglass reinforced aerogel composite may include between about 50 wt. % and about 75 wt. % of the aerogel particles. The binder bonds the coarse glass fibers, the glass microfibers, and the aerogel particles together.

A preparation method of SiO.sub.2 aerogels is for solvent replacement process during preparation of SiO.sub.2 aerogels and adopts “a manner of continuously circulation filtration” for an operation of adding solvent so that wet gel is continuously circulated and replaced (rinsing) by mass alcohol solvent and organic solvent to greatly accelerate (reducing) the time for replacement operation of wet gel solvent. At the same time, the alcohol solvent or the organic solvent passing through the reaction container separates wet gel from water content or the alcohol solution through filtration procedure. Afterward the alcohol solution and the organic solution enter the reaction container to perform solvent replacement such that fast continuously circulation filtration is performed to greatly improve the effect of replacing wet gel solvent.

Provided is a method for producing a silica aerogel blanket having high thermal insulation and high strength, wherein an acicular metal-silica composite is added to a step of preparing a silica precursor solution during the production of the silica aerogel blanket to produce a silica aerogel blanket having characteristics of high thermal insulation, high strength, high thermal resistance and low dust.

The current disclosure provides reinforced aerogel compositions that are durable and easy to handle, have favorable performance in aqueous environments, have favorable insulation properties, and have favorable, reaction to fire, combustion and flame-resistance properties. Also provided are methods of preparing or manufacturing such reinforced aerogel compositions. In certain embodiments, the composition has a silica-based aerogel framework, reinforced with an open-cell macroporous framework, and includes one or more fire-class additives, where the silica-based aerogel framework comprises at least one hydrophobic-bound silicon and the composition or each of its components has desired properties.

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 present invention provides an aerogel and a method for manufacturing the same, in which the size of the particles can be prepared to be very small and uniform because aerogel particles can be formed in the emulsion, and through this, the size of the pores forming the aerogel can also be prepared to be uniform, and furthermore, since an additional post-treatment step is not required, the excellent properties of the aerogel can be sufficiently used without mechanical deformation of the aerogel to enhance the utilization in various industrial fields.

The present disclosure provides an aerogel composition which is durable and easy to handle, which has favorable performance in aqueous environments, and which also has favorable combustion and self-heating properties. Also provided is a method of preparing an aerogel composition which is durable and easy to handle, which has favorable performance in aqueous environments, and which has favorable combustion and self-heating properties. Further provided is a method of improving the hydrophobicity, the liquid water uptake, the heat of combustion, or the onset of thermal decomposition temperature of an aerogel composition.

Aerogel materials, aerogel composites, and the like may be improved by the addition of opacifiers to reduce the radiative component of heat transfer. Such aerogel materials, aerogel composites, and the like may also be treated to impart or improve hydrophobicity. Such aerogel materials and methods of manufacturing the same are described.