Rapid and inexpensive synthesis of liter-scale SiC aerogels.

ABSTRACT: Ceramic aerogels are promising materials for thermal insulation and protection under harsh environments. Yet current synthesis methods fail to provide an energy-, time-, and cost-effective route for high-throughput production and large-scale applications, especially for non-oxide ceramic aerogels. Here we reported a way to synthesize SiC aerogels within seconds and over liter scale, with a demonstrated throughput of ~16 L min^-1 in a typical lab experiment. The key lies in renovated combustion synthesis and a fast expansion from powder reactants to aerogel products over 1000% in volume. The synthesis process is self-sustainable and requires minimal energy input. The product is very cheap, with an estimated price of ~$0.7 L^-1 (~$7 kg^-1). The obtained SiC aero

SUBMITTER: Han L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11322506 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature