The present disclosure provides a method for manufacturing an aerogel blanket, wherein a surface modification process is performed under acid conditions while using a non-toxic catalyst. Under such a process, a solvent substitution process or a washing process may be omitted to simplify the manufacturing process. Further, collapse of a gel structure due to shrinkage is prevented and the efficiency of surface modification is high even when atmospheric pressure drying is performed, so that an aerogel having excellent thermal conductivity and degree of hydrophobicity may be manufactured. Also provided is an aerogel blanket manufactured by the method, thereby having low thermal conductivity and a low moisture impregnation rate since a hydrophobic group is uniformly formed inside a substrate.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a fiber-sizing agent which when applied to an inorganic reinforcement material contained in a resin composition, can provide a molded article having excellent impact resistance and high surface gloss properties. The fiber-sizing agent according to the present invention contains a modified olefin wax (A), a polyolefin resin (B), and a silane-coupling agent (C), wherein the mass ratio (A)/(B) of the modified olefin wax (A) to the polyolefin resin (B) is in the range of 0.2-10.

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a fiber-sizing agent which when applied to an inorganic reinforcement material contained in a resin composition, can provide a molded article having excellent impact resistance and high surface gloss properties. The fiber-sizing agent according to the present invention contains a modified olefin wax (A), a polyolefin resin (B), and a silane-coupling agent (C), wherein the mass ratio (A)/(B) of the modified olefin wax (A) to the polyolefin resin (B) is in the range of 0.2-10.

Novel chemical sensors that improve detection and quantification of CO.sub.2 are critical to ensuring safe and cost-effective monitoring of carbon storage sites. Fiber optic (FO) based chemical sensor systems are promising field-deployable systems for real-time monitoring of CO.sub.2 in geological formations for long-range distributed sensing. In this work, a mixed-matrix composite integrated FO sensor system was developed that reliably operates as a detector for gas-phase and dissolved CO.sub.2. A mixed-matrix composite sensor coating on the FO sensor comprising plasmonic nanocrystals and zeolite embedded in a polymer matrix. The mixed-matrix composite FO sensor showed excellent reversibility/stability in a high humidity environment and sensitivity to gas-phase CO.sub.2 over a large concentration range. The sensor exhibited the ability to sense CO.sub.2 in the presence of other geologically relevant gases, which is of importance for applications in geological formations. A prototype FO sensor configuration which possesses a robust sensing capability for monitoring dissolved CO.sub.2 in natural water was demonstrated. Reproducibility was confirmed over many cycles, both in a laboratory setting and in the field.

Novel chemical sensors that improve detection and quantification of CO.sub.2 are critical to ensuring safe and cost-effective monitoring of carbon storage sites. Fiber optic (FO) based chemical sensor systems are promising field-deployable systems for real-time monitoring of CO.sub.2 in geological formations for long-range distributed sensing. In this work, a mixed-matrix composite integrated FO sensor system was developed that reliably operates as a detector for gas-phase and dissolved CO.sub.2. A mixed-matrix composite sensor coating on the FO sensor comprising plasmonic nanocrystals and zeolite embedded in a polymer matrix. The mixed-matrix composite FO sensor showed excellent reversibility/stability in a high humidity environment and sensitivity to gas-phase CO.sub.2 over a large concentration range. The sensor exhibited the ability to sense CO.sub.2 in the presence of other geologically relevant gases, which is of importance for applications in geological formations. A prototype FO sensor configuration which possesses a robust sensing capability for monitoring dissolved CO.sub.2 in natural water was demonstrated. Reproducibility was confirmed over many cycles, both in a laboratory setting and in the field.

Hydrophobic mineral insulation materials and method of making the same are disclosed. The mineral insulants may include at least one amino-functional organosilicon compound. The amino-functional organosilicon compounds may have an amine number in the range of 0.05 to 0.40. The method of hydrophobicizing may include providing an aqueous emulsion having at least one amino-functional organosilicon compound which may have an amine in the range of 0.05 to 0.40.

Hydrophobic mineral insulation materials and method of making the same are disclosed. The mineral insulants may include at least one amino-functional organosilicon compound. The amino-functional organosilicon compounds may have an amine number in the range of 0.05 to 0.40. The method of hydrophobicizing may include providing an aqueous emulsion having at least one amino-functional organosilicon compound which may have an amine in the range of 0.05 to 0.40.

Provided is a glass direct roving that can achieve good productivity for long glass fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin pellets, and achieve excellent spinning productivity and good strength of glass fiber-reinforced resin molded articles produced by using long glass fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin pellets in combination. The glass direct roving includes a plurality of glass filaments bundled together, wherein the filament diameter of the glass filaments, D, is in the range of 17.5 to 21.5 μm, the number of the glass filaments bundled, F, is in the range of 3000 to 7000, the mass of the glass direct roving is in the range of 2450 to 4000 tex, the ignition loss of the glass direct roving, L, is in the range of 0.03 to 0.90%, and the D, F, and L satisfy the following formula (1): $\begin{array}{cc}1050\le \left(D^4\times F^{1/4}\right)/\left(1000\times L^{1/6}\right)\le 1640.& \left(1\right)\end{array}$

A soundproofing material including a porous body having a cell structure and including inorganic fibers other than asbestos, wherein an average cell diameter is more than 300 μm and 1000 μm or less, a bulk density is 0.007 to 0.024 g/cm.sup.3, and a flow resistivity is 170,000 to 2,000,000 Ns/m.sup.4.

A mineral wool product comprises mineral fibers bound by a binder resulting from the curing of a binder composition comprising a phenol-formaldehyde-based resin, and/or a carbohydrate containing component; a hydrophobic agent comprising (i) at least one silicone compound, such as silicone resin; (ii) at least one hardener, such as silane; (iii) optionally, at least one emulsifier; as insulation of a metallic structure, said structure having an operating temperature between 0-650° C.