Porous three-dimensional networks of polyurea and porous three-dimensional networks of carbon and methods of their manufacture are described. In an example, polyurea aerogels are prepared by mixing an triisocyanate with water and a triethylamine to form a sol-gel material and supercritically drying the sol-gel material to form the polyurea aerogel. Subjecting the polyurea aerogel to a step of pyrolysis may result in a three dimensional network having a carbon skeleton, yielding a carbon aerogel. The density and morphology of polyurea aerogels can be controlled by varying the amount of isocyanate monomer in the initial reaction mixture. A lower density in the aerogel gives rise to a fibrous morphology, whereas a greater density in the aerogel results in a particulate morphology. Polyurea aerogels described herein may also exhibit a reduced flammability.

The present invention relates polysiloxane based aerogels obtained by reacting a functionalised poly(dimethylsiloxane) oligomer and an aliphatic or aromatic isocyanate compound in a presence of a catalyst and a solvent. A polysiloxane based aerogels according to the present invention provide high thermal insulation material, while good mechanical properties and performance is maintained.

An aerogel according to the present invention is obtained by reacting silanol moieties on a surface of a clay; an isocyanate compound A; an isocyanate compound B; a cyclic ether compound; a solvent A; and a solvent B. Aerogels according to the present invention have good mechanical properties and good thermal insulation properties.

The present invention relates to a hybrid aerogel obtained by reacting an aromatic or aliphatic isocyanate compound and silanol moieties on a surface of a clay in a presence of a solvent. Hybrid aerogels according to the present invention provide high thermal insulation material, while good mechanical properties and performance is maintained.

The present invention provides articles and methods related to insulation panels made from aerogels, and specifically polyimide based aerogels. Such insulation panels have a wide variety of applications, including specifically in aerospace applications.

An aerogel and process of making the aerogel is provided. The aerogel is a polyimide aerogel having polyamide cross-links formed using a triacid chloride cross-linker.

Porous three-dimensional networks of polyurea and porous three-dimensional networks of carbon and methods of their manufacture are described. In an example, polyurea aerogels are prepared by mixing an triisocyanate with water and a triethylamine to form a sol-gel material and supercritically drying the sol-gel material to form the polyurea aerogel. Subjecting the polyurea aerogel to a step of pyrolysis may result in a three dimensional network having a carbon skeleton, yielding a carbon aerogel. The density and morphology of polyurea aerogels can be controlled by varying the amount of isocyanate monomer in the initial reaction mixture. A lower density in the aerogel gives rise to a fibrous morphology, whereas a greater density in the aerogel results in a particulate morphology. Polyurea aerogels described herein may also exhibit a reduced flammability.

Silica-based organogels, including aerogels, incorporating hexahydrotriazine and/or hemiaminal species are described. These organo-silica gel materials can have applications as insulating materials. In a particular example, an aerogel includes silica groups and a hexahydrotriazine moiety with at least one nitrogen atom that is covalently linked to a silica group. Methods of making such silica-based organogels are also described.

The present disclosure relates to nanoporous micro-spherical polyimide aerogels and a method for preparing the same. The use of the method for preparing polyimide aerogels, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, enables the preparation of the polyimide aerogels through a low-temperature process, and thus can save energy and time when compared with existing preparing methods, can reduce production costs, and can prepare spherical polyimide aerogels, which are micro-sized uniform particles, having excellent chemical stability, thermal insulation characteristics, and absorption-desorption characteristics while having nano-sized pores. The spherical polyimide aerogels can be applied to various fields, such as an insulator, a drug delivery medium, and a catalyst supporter, due to excellent physical properties thereof.

The present invention relates to a process for preparing a porous material, at least providing a mixture (I) comprising a composition (A) comprising 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) comprises a catalyst (C) selected from the group consisting of alkali metal and earth alkali metal salts of a saturated or unsaturated monocarboxylic acid with 4 to 8 carbon atoms. The invention further relates to the porous materials which can be obtained in this way and the use of the porous materials as thermal insulation material and in vacuum insulation panels, in particular in interior or exterior thermal insulation systems.