Aerogel compositions with enhanced performance

• US 9,181,486 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2007
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aspen Aerogels, Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Aspen Aerogels, Incorporated
• Inventors: Evans, Owen R., Rhine, Wendell E., Nebo, Jon F, Abeles, Jon C. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ryan, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): GRESO, AARON J
• Application Number:
  US11/753,815
• Publication Number:
  US 20070272902A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,091 Days
• Field of Search: 252/2, 524/100, 524115-154, 524414-417, 524404-406, 524409-412, 524/432, 524436-437, 524442-456, 435/6
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 13/0091 Preparation of aerogels, e.g. xerogels
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 25/26 Phosphates perphosphates C01B15/16
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 33/1585 Dehydration into aerogels
• CPC Class Codes: C01B 33/26 Aluminium-containing silicates , i.e. silico-aluminates
• CPC Class Codes: C01F 5/14 Magnesium hydroxide
• CPC Class Codes: C01F 7/18 Aluminium oxide or hydroxide from alkaline earth metal aluminates
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 21/02 Inorganic materials
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 21/12 containing phosphorus

Abstract

Aerogel materials, aerogel composites and the like may be improved by enhancing their smoke suppression, combustion reduction properties. It is additionally useful to provide aerogel based composites compatible with environments conducive to combustion. Such aerogel materials and methods of manufacturing the same are described.

Claims

1. A flexible aerogel blanket comprising an aerogel material, the aerogel material comprising smoke suppressing filler and hydrophobic materials covalently attached to a surface of the aerogel material, wherein the smoke suppressing filler is embedded within the aerogel matrix.

2. The aerogel material of claim 1 wherein said fillers comprise:

phosphates, borates, metal silicates, metallocenes, molybdates, stannates, hydroxides, carbonates, zinc oxides, aluminum oxides, antimony oxides, magnesium-zinc blends, magnesium-zinc-antimony blends, or a combination thereof.

3. The aerogel material of claim 2 wherein at least some of the fillers are in hydrated form.

4. The aerogel material of claim 2 wherein the phosphate fillers comprise cyclic phosphates, alkylphosphates, ammonium polyphosphates, arylphosphates, alkarylphosphates or a combination thereof.

5. The aerogel material of claim 4 wherein said phosphates comprise triethyl phosphate, tributyl phosphate, trihexyl phosphate, tridecyl phosphate, tri(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate, trioctyl phosphate, hexyldioctyl phosphate, and the like.

6. The aerogel material of claim 2 wherein the phosphate fillers have the general formula:

7. The aerogel material of claim 2 wherein the phosphate fillers are present at a level of about 1 to 30 percent all by weight of the final composition.

8. The aerogel material of claim 2 wherein the borate fillers comprise Magnesium, Sodium, Calcium, Zinc, Tantalum, Nickel, Titanium, Cerium, Potassium, Beryllium, Lithium, Antimony, Aluminum, Manganese, Copper, Strontium, Iron, ammonia or a combination thereof.

9. The aerogel material of claim 8 wherein the largest dimension of the borate fillers is less than about 100 μ

m, less than about 50 μ

m, less than about 10 μ

m or less than about 5 μ

m.

10. The aerogel material of claim 8 comprising less than about 50%, less than about 30%, less than about 20%, less than about 10% or less than about 5% by weight of borate fillers.

11. The aerogel material of claim 2 wherein the metal silicate fillers comprise Beryllium, Magnesium, Calcium, Strontium, Barium, Radium, Aluminum, Iron, Titanium, Manganese, Potassium, Sodium or a combination thereof.

12. The aerogel material of claim 11 wherein the largest dimension of the metal silicate fillers is less than about 100 μ

m, less than about 50 μ

m, less than about 10 μ

m or less than about 5 μ

m.

13. The aerogel material of claim 11 comprising less than about 50%, less than about 30%, less than about 20%, less than about 10% or less than about 5% by weight of metal silicate fillers.

14. The aerogel material of claim 2 wherein the metallocene fillers comprise Chromium, Cobalt, Hafnium, Iron, Titanium, Vanadium, Ruthenium, Rhodium, Zirconium, Tungsten, Molybdenum, Osmium, or Nickel.

15. The aerogel material of claim 2 wherein the metallocene fillers have a chemical structure:

16. The aerogel material of claim 14 wherein the largest dimension of the metallocene fillers is less than about 100 μ

m, less than about 50 μ

m, less than about 10 μ

m or less than about 5 μ

m.

17. The aerogel material of claim 14 comprising less than about 50%, less than about 30%, less than about 20%, less than about 10% or less than about 5% by weight of metallocene fillers.

18. The aerogel material of claim 2 wherein the molybdate fillers comprise:

MoS₂, MoO₃, CaMoO₄, Mo₂ O₅, MoS₃, Mo₂ S₃, Mo₂ O₃, MoO₂, MoS₄, MoCl₃, MoBr₃, PbMoO₄, ammonium 5-molybdocobaltate (III), 9-molybdonickelate (IV), 6-molybdoaluminate (III), 6-molybdochromate (III), ammonium dimolybdate, ammonium molybdate, ammonium heptamolybdate, ammonium octamolybdate, ammonium phosphomolybdates, alkali metal molybdates, alkaline earth molybdates or a combination thereof.

19. The aerogel material of claim 18 wherein the largest dimension of the molybdate fillers is less than about 100 μ

m, less than about 50 μ

m, less than about 10 μ

m or less than about 5 μ

m.

20. The aerogel material of claim 18 comprising less than about 50%, less than about 30%, less than about 20%, less than about 10% or less than about 5% by weight of molybdate fillers.

21. The aerogel material of claim 2 wherein the aerogel material is based on Silica, Alumina, Titania, Zirconia, Yttria, Hafnia or a combination thereof.

22. A flexible aerogel blanket comprising an aerogel material, the aerogel material comprising smoke suppressing filler and hydrophobic materials covalently attached to a surface of the aerogel material, wherein the smoke suppressing filler is embedded within the aerogel matrix;

the aerogel material also comprising a flexible, fibrous structure.

23. The aerogel material of claim 22 wherein the fibrous structure is in a woven, nonwoven, mat, felt, batting, chopped fibers or a combined form.

37. The aerogel material of claim 22 wherein the fibrous structure comprises organic polymer-based fibers, inorganic fibers or a combination thereof.

24. A method of preparing an aerogel material with reduced smoke emission comprising the steps of:

(a) forming a gel from a mixture comprising gel precursors and smoke suppressing fillers; and

(b) drying the gel.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein said smoke suppressing fillers comprise phosphates, borates, metal silicates, metallocenes, molybdates, stannates, hydroxides, carbonates, zinc oxides, aluminum oxides, antimony oxides, magnesium-zinc blends, magnesium-zinc-antimony blends, or a combination thereof.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the fillers are in hydrated form.

27. The method of claim 24 comprising the step of dispensing an amount of smoke suppressing fillers into a gel precursor solution, thereby forming said mixture.

28. The method of claim 24 comprising the step of mixing an amount of a smoke suppressing filler with an amount of gel precursor in a suitable solvent.

29. The method of claim 25 or 26 further comprising the step of dispensing the mixture comprising the fillers and gel precursors, into a fibrous structure.

30. The method of claim 25 or 26 further comprising the step of introducing a fibrous structure into the mixture comprising the fillers and gel precursors.

31. The method of claim 29 or 30 wherein the fibrous structure comprises organic polymer-based fibers, inorganic fibers or a combination thereof.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the fibrous structure comprises a mat, felt, batting or a combinations thereof.

33. The method of claim 24 wherein the gel precursors comprise Silica, Titania, Zirconia, Alumina, Hathia, Yttria, Ceria, or a combination thereof.

34. The method of claim 24 wherein the gel is dried with a supercritical fluid which optionally comprises carbon dioxide.

35. The method of claim 24 wherein the largest dimension of the fillers is less than about 100 μ

m, less than about 50 μ

m, less than about 10 μ

m or less than about 5 μ

m.

36. The method of claim 24 wherein the filler content of the dried gel is less than about 50%, less than about 30%, less than about 20%, less than about 10% or less than about 5% by weight.