A porous layer is described. The porous layer comprises a solidified sol-gel inorganic material having a distribution of nanometric voids, wherein at least some of nanometric voids are at least partially coated internally by carbon or a hydrophobic substance containing carbon.

A low-density gel product of the present disclosure has a skeleton containing a polysiloxane chain and an organic polymer chain. In the skeleton, the polysiloxane chain and the organic polymer chain are bonded to each other by covalent bonds at a plurality of positions on both of the chains with silicon atoms of the polysiloxane chain as bonding points. The organic polymer chain may be an aliphatic hydrocarbon chain. The polysiloxane chain may be a polyorganosiloxane chain. The low-density gel product of the present disclosure is a novel low-density gel product with improved mechanical properties including bending flexibility.

An aerogel that includes an open-cell structured polymer matrix is disclosed. The aerogel includes 5 wt. % to 50 wt. % of a polyamic amide polymer, based on the total weight of the aerogel, pores and at least 90% of the pore volume of the aerogel is made up of macropores, a porosity of at least 50%, as measure according to ASTM D4404-10, a density of 0.01 g/cm.sup.3 to 0.5 g/cm.sup.3, and the aerogel is thermally stable to resist browning at 330° C.

Aerogel compositions that include polyamic amides, methods for preparing the aerogel compositions, and articles of manufacture that include or manufactured from the aerogel compositions are described.

The present invention relates to a porous silicone body having communicating pores and a three-dimensional network silicone skeleton that forms the pores, wherein the silicone skeleton is formed by polymerization of a bifunctional alkoxysilane and a trifunctional alkoxysilane, and the proportion of unreacted parts in the silicone skeleton is 10 mol % or less. The porous silicone body of the present invention has high flexibility and high heat resistance, and further has excellent recoverability of heat-resistant cushioning properties.

An aerogel that includes an open-cell structured polymer matrix that can have 5 wt. % to 50 wt. % of a polyamic amide polymer, based on the total weight of the aerogel is disclosed. The aerogel can have a density of 0.05 g/cm.sup.3 to 0.35 g/cm.sup.3 and can be thermally stable to resist browning at 330° C.

Microporous polyolefin and microporous polydicyclopentadiene (polyDCPD) based aerogels and methods for preparing and using the same are provided. The aerogels are produced by forming a polymer gel structure within a solvent from a olefin or dicyclopentadiene monomer via Ring Opening Metathesis Polymerization (ROMP) reactions, followed by supercritical drying to remove the solvent from the aerogel. Other aerogels are prepared by sequentially (1) mixing at least one dicyclopentadiene monomer, at least one solvent at least one catalyst and at least one inorganic and/or organic reinforcing material, (2) gelling the mixture, (3) aging, and (4) supercritical drying. Aerogels provided herein are inexpensive to prepare, possess desirable thermal, mechanical, acoustic, chemical, and physical properties and are hydrophobic. The aerogels provided herein are suitable for use in various applications, including but not limited to thermal and acoustic insulation, radiation shielding, and vibrational damping applications.

Mechanically strong, biodegradable and reusable aerogels are disclosed, which can be made with a cross-linked cellulose ester, and which exhibit a low density and high porosity. The aerogels disclosed herein may be used as sorbent materials and can be modified with a hydrophobic and/or oleophilic agent.

Organic polymer aerogels, articles of manufacture, and uses thereof are described. The aerogels include an organic polymer matrix and microstructures dispersed within the aerogels, which provides for superior thermal conductivity and mechanical properties.

Disclosed are cellulose-based flexible gels containing cellulose nanorods, ribbons, fibers, and the like, and cellulose-enabled inorganic or polymeric composites, wherein the gels have tunable optical, heat transfer, and stiffness properties. The disclosed gels are in the form of hydrogels, organogels, liquid-crystal (LC) gels, and aerogels, depending on the solvents in the gels.