A process for preparing a porous material, including the steps of providing a mixture (I) containing a composition (A) containing components suitable to form an organic gel and a solvent (B), reacting the components in the composition (A) in the presence of the solvent (B) to form a gel, and drying of the gel obtained in step b), wherein the composition (A) contains at least one compound (af) containing phosphorous and at least one functional group which is reactive towards isocyanates and at least one component (au) selected from the group consisting of urea, biuret, and derivatives of urea and biuret.

A method for manufacturing a body made of a porous material derived from precursors of the porous material in a sol-gel process, including (i) providing a mold, containing a lower part defining an interior volume for receiving the precursors of the porous material, wherein the lower part comprises a first opening, and surfaces of the lower part facing the interior volume are at least partially provided with a coating made of a material being electrically dissipative and non-sticky to the precursors of the porous material and/or the body, (ii) filling precursors of the porous material into the lower part in a first inert or ventilated region, wherein the precursors include two reactive components and a solvent, (iii) removing the body from the lower part through the first opening after a predetermined time, (iv) disposing the body onto a support, and (v) removing the solvent from the body.

An aerogel and method of making the aerogel is disclosed. The aerogel is a polyimide/polyamide hybrid with a cross-linking agent that induces gelation.

Polymeric aerogels, articles made from the polymeric aerogels and methods of making the polymeric aerogels are provided. The aerogels are made e.g. from crosslinkable monomers such as isocyanate monomers or phenolic monomers and a filler comprising crosslinkable hydroxyl groups. The filler may be natural (e.g. wood flour) or synthetic. The aerogels and products made therefrom exhibit low thermal conductivity and are mechanically strong. Due to their physical properties, these materials are used as e.g. building envelope components, such as walls, roofs and frames, to improve the thermal performance thereof, and may be used in a variety of other applications such as sound and insulation barriers in mechanical equipment, cryogenic containers, etc.

Functionalized isocyanate based organic aerogel/xerogel/cryogel comprising: a cross-linked porous network structure made of polyurethane and/or polyisocyanurate and/or polyurea, comprising on their pore surface before functionalization reactive groups (B) and functionalization molecules having a solubility in water <10 g/L at 20 C. chemically attached to the pore surface of the cross-linked porous network structure wherein said molecules have at least one reactive group (A) being capable of binding to said pore surface (by reaction with groups (B)) and at least one functional group (C) providing the pore surface with the desired functionalization.

A synthesis method for making an isocyanate based organic xerogel having a low density (i.e. <400 kg/m.sup.3) and a small pore size (<150 nm) in combination with a specific surface area >100 m.sup.2/g is disclosed. The synthesis method avoiding or reducing gel shrinkage during the solvent removal step is characterized by the step wherein the organic solvent used to synthesize the isocyanate based organic xerogel is replaced by water such that during the solvent removal step only water needs to be removed to dry the porous network and to obtain the isocyanate based organic xerogel.

The present invention relates to a thiourethane based aerogels obtained by reacting an isocyanate compound having a functionality equal to or greater than 2 and a thiol compound having a functionality equal to or greater than 2 in the presence of a solvent. Aerogels according to the present invention are generally hydrophobic, high performance materials. Aerogels according to the present invention are light weight they have low thermal conductivity, low shrinkage and high mechanical properties.

Nanoporous three-dimensional networks of polyurethane particles, e.g., polyurethane aerogels, and methods of preparation are presented herein. Such nanoporous networks may include polyurethane particles made up of linked polyisocyanate and polyol monomers. In some cases, greater than about 95% of the linkages between the polyisocyanate monomers and the polyol monomers are urethane linkages. To prepare such networks, a mixture including polyisocyanate monomers (e.g., diisocyanates, triisocyanates), polyol monomers (diols, triols), and a solvent is provided. The polyisocyanate and polyol monomers may be aliphatic or aromatic. A polyurethane catalyst is added to the mixture causing formation of linkages between the polyisocyanate monomers and the polyol monomers. Phase separation of particles from the reaction medium can be controlled to enable formation of polyurethane networks with desirable nanomorphologies, specific surface area, and mechanical properties. Various properties of such networks of polyurethane particles (e.g., strength, stiffness, flexibility, thermal conductivity) may be tailored depending on which monomers are provided in the reaction.

The present invention relates to an organic aerogel obtained by reacting a thiol compound having a functionality from 2 to 6 and an epoxy compound having a functionality from 2 to 6 in a presence of a solvent. The organic aerogels according to the present invention are hydrophobic, high performance materials (lightweight, with low thermal conductivity, low shrinkage, and high mechanical properties).

A method includes the steps of (a) adding an organosilicon compound containing methyl groups and a surfactant into water, mixing well and carrying out hydrolysis to get a mixed aqueous solution; (b) mixing the mixed aqueous solution with 0.1-0.2M ammonium hydroxide and a remaining percentage of an organic solvent, and stirring the mixture under nitrogen atmosphere for emulsion polymerization to get a water-in-oil (w/o) emulsion; and (c) removing the organic solvent and drying the w/o emulsion to get aerogel particles. Thereby the aerogel particles are produced by the present method without hydrophobic treatment and solvent exchange. Therefore the cost and time used for preparing the aerogel particles are saved.