Preparation of aerogels

US4667417A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• BASF SE

Inventors

• Fritz Graser · Ludwigshafen, DE
• Andreas Stange · Mannheim, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 5, 1985
• Grant date: May 26, 1987
• Expiry date: Aug 5, 2005

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B01J37/00
• WIPO field: Chemical engineering
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A process for the drying of inorganic hydrogels obtained from readily hydrolyzable compounds of the elements Al, Si, Ti, B, La, Zr, Cr, Sn, Th or Mg, and organic hydrogels based on gelatine, albumin or agar agar, from CO.sub.2, to give aerogels is easy to carry out industrially, and drying can be effected at from room temperature to 90.degree. C. The resulting aerogels are transparent and have a low bulk density and low thermal conductivity. The aerogels can be used as packing materials for liquid chromatography, as catalyst carriers, as substrates for enzymes and as adsorbents.