The present invention provides a method and kit for the treatment of surfaces, such as the skin surface of a user, to impart hydrophobic characteristics upon the surface. The treatment of surfaces to impart hydrophobicity protects equipment, personnel, and animals from the effects of aqueous solutions such as water, toxic slurries, concrete, acids and bases.

The present disclosure relates to a method for manufacturing an aerogel composite, wherein the method includes impregnating a catalyzed silica sol into a fiber mat in a volume ratio of 0.1 to 1:1 (catalyzed silica sol:fiber mat) and then performing gelation thereon S10. The present disclosure also relates to an aerogel composite manufactured by the disclosed method.

Provided is a method of manufacturing a silica aerogel, which includes: (1) manufacturing a hydrogel composite; (2) washing the manufactured hydrogel composite with a washing solvent; and (3) drying the washed hydrogel composite, wherein, impurities are removed from the hydrogel composite in Step (2), and the washing solvent is heated to a temperature equal to or higher than the boiling point (b.p.) of the washing solvent.

The invention provides silica wet gel, silica aerogel, and methods that can be used to form an enhanced silica aerogel sheet having fewer optical defects along with other desirable properties.

Described herein are window retrofits including a monolithic silica aerogel slab having (i) an average haze value of <5% as calculated in accordance with ASTM standard D1003-13 and (ii) a U-factor of <0.5 BTU/sf/hr/° F., and a transparent polymer envelope sealed at an internal pressure of ≤1 atmosphere, wherein the monolithic silica aerogel slab is encapsulated in the transparent polymer envelope. The monolithic aerogel slab can have a transmittance >94% at 8 mm thickness. The window retrofit can be bonded to a glass sheet.

A method of synthesizing aerogels and cross-linked aerogels are described that incorporate freeze-drying in lieu of super-critical solvent drying. Advantages over supercritical drying include a reduction in hazard risks posed by drying at supercritical conditions as well as the ability to up-scale the process to accommodate large pieces of material without introducing risk. In addition, inexpensive and more sophisticated mold technologies, which are not impervious to super-critical conditions, can be used to produce aerogel materials according to the freeze-drying method of the invention. This introduces a level of freedom never before available for the production of aerogel components.

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.

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 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.