• Journal of Ceramic Processing Research
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• v.13 no.spc1
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• pp.145-148
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• 2012

Spherical silica aerogel powders were fabricated via an emulsion polymerization method from a water glass. A water-in-oil emulsion, in which droplets of a silicic acid solution are emulsified with span 80 (surfactant) in n-hexane, was produced by a high power homogenizer. After gelation, the surface of the spherical silica hydrogels was modified using a TMCS (trimethylchlorosilane)/n-hexane solution followed by solvent exchange from water to n-hexane. Hydrophobic silica wet gel droplets were dried at 80 ℃ under ambient pressure. A perfect spherical silica aerogel powder between1 to 12 ㎛ in diameter was obtained and its size can be controlled by mixing speed. The tapping density, pore volume, and BET surface area of the silica aerogel powder were approximately 0.08 g·cm-3, 3.5 ㎤·g-1 and 742 ㎡·g-1, respectively.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.209-213
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• 2011

Hydrophobic silica aerogel beads with low thermal conductivity and high porosity were prepared using a cost-effective sodium silicate as a silica source via an ambient-pressure drying process. Monolithic wet gels were first prepared by adjusting pH (~5) of a diluted sodium silicate solution. The silica aerogel beads (0.5~20 mm) were manufactured by breaking the wet gel monoliths under a simultaneous solvent exchange/surface modification process and an ambient-pressure drying process without using co-precursors or templates. Dried silica aerogel beads exhibit a comparable porosity ($593m^2/g$ of surface area, 34.9 nm of pore size, and $4.4cm^3/g$ of pore volume) to that of the aerogel powder prepared in the same conditions. Thermal conductivity of the silica aerogel beads (19.8 mW/mK at $20^{\circ}C$) is also identical to the aerogel powder.