Carbon aerogels are nanostructured carbons obtained from the carbonization of organic aerogels, which are prepared by the sol-gel polycondensation of certain organic monomers[1]. Carbon aerogels have received widespread attention since they were made through the pyrolysis of resorcinol-formaldehyde-based organic aerogels in the late 1980s. They have been prepared and have potential to be used widely in various fields due to their fascinating physical and chemical properties such as low apparent density, large specific surface area, abundant pore structure, high electrical conductivity, high chemical stability, and environmental compatibility.
Preparation
The preparation of carbon aerogels involves three stages: gelation, drying, and carbonization[2]. Details are as follows.
Gelation Stage: At the gelation stage, the gel is formed by polymerizing and/or crosslinking of single precursor molecules.
Drying: Drying is the key stage in carbon aerogel preparation. At this stage, the solvent in the gel is removed, leaving only a solid network, the aerogel. Drying methods for aerogels include three categories: supercritical drying, freeze drying, and ambient drying.
Carbonization: Carbonization is the process by which aerogels become carbon aerogels. Notably, the stage is significant for polymer carbon aerogels and biomass carbon aerogels, but it's unnecessary for those ones based on graphene and CNTs due to the completely graphitized structure.
Figure 1. General preparation processes for carbon aerogels.
Specification
| Items | Parameters |
| Catalog | GEL-CA |
| Appearance | Black solid |
| Melting Point | 3652 - 3697 ℃ (sublimes) |
| Boiling Point | 4200 ℃ |
| Density | 2.27 kg/m3 |
| Thermal Conductivity | 119-165 W/m·K |
*Note: The product parameters listed on the page are for reference only, and can be adjusted according to your actual needs.
Applications
Carbon aerogels show wonderful adsorption and catalytic properties because of the microscopic properties of carbon nanomaterials and the macroscopic structure of the gel. Therefore, they are widely used in environmental clean-up for removing pollutants like oils, toxic organic solvents, dyes, heavy metal ions in aquatic environments, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbon oxides (CO2, CO), nitrogen oxide (NOx), and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in the atmosphere.
The importance of thermal insulation has grown with increasing building energy efficiency considerations and attention in the aerospace field. Carbon aerogels with small pore sizes (<100 nm) typically exhibit low thermal conductivity due to the Knudsen effect[3]. This feature makes them suitable as thermal insulation materials.
The number of publications concerning carbon aerogels has been increasing in the past decade. In addition to environmental clean-up and thermal insulation, carbon aerogels are also widely used in energy storage, chemical sensors, biomedicine, etc.
Why Choose Us?
Alfa Chemistry is proud to offer high quality carbon aerogels to our customers. You can customize the product in different sizes, morphologies and densities according to your actual needs. Just call us if you need help, and we will deliver the product on time and under budget.
References
- Moreno-Castilla, C.; Maldonado-Hodar, F.J. Carbon aerogels for catalysis applications: an overview. Carbon. 2005, 43: 455-465.
- Gan, G.; et al. Carbon aerogels for environmental clean-up. European Journal of Inorganic Chemistry. 2019, 27: 3126-3141.
- Lee, J.H.; Park, S.J. Recent advances in preparations and applications of carbon aerogels: a review. Carbon. 2020, 163: 1-18.
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