Apparatus and method for manufacturing and packaging of high performance thermal insulator aerogels

Abstract

In various embodiments, novel methods of fabricating and/or packaging aerogels are provided.

1 .- 52 . (canceled) 
     
     
         53 . An apparatus for the preparation of an aerogel, said apparatus comprising:
 a supercritical drying vessel comprising one or more vents and/or valves that configured to vent supercritical alcohol or CO 2  into a reservoir chamber configured to capture said alcohol or CO 2  released from said supercritical drying vessel during a super critical drying operation.   
     
     
         54 . The apparatus of  claim 53 , wherein said apparatus comprises a port configured to apply a vacuum to said drying vessel. 
     
     
         55 . The apparatus according to  claim 53 , wherein said reservoir chamber further comprises a port and/or valves and/or fluid lines to deliver captured alcohol and/or CO 2  back into said supercritical drying vessel. 
     
     
         56 . The apparatus according to  claim 53 , wherein said vessel is configured to heat the contents of said vessel up to a temperature ranging from about 245° C. to about 265° C., or from about 250° C. to about 260° C. or from about 255° C. to about 257° C. 
     
     
         57 . The apparatus according to  claim 53 , wherein vessel is configured to hold contents at a pressure ranging from about 6.5 MPa to about 8.8 MPa, or from about 7 MPa to about 8.5 MPa, or from about 7.5 MPa to about 8.3 MPa, or from about 7.8 MPa to about 8 MPa. 
     
     
         58 . The apparatus according to  claim 53 , wherein said vessel is configured to heat the contents of said vessel up to a temperature ranging from about 31° C. to about 50° C., or from about 31° C. to about 40° C., or from about 32° C. to about 36° C. 
     
     
         59 . The apparatus according to  claim 53 , wherein said vessel is configured to hold contents a pressure ranging from about 1050 psi to about 1300 psi, or from about 1050 psi to about 1200 psi, or from about 1050 psi to about 1100 psi, or from about 1051 psi to about 1080 psi, or from about 1052 psi to about 1050 psi. 
     
     
         60 . The apparatus according to  claim 54 , wherein said port configured to apply a vacuum to said drying vessel is a port coupled to a vacuum pump. 
     
     
         61 . The apparatus of  claim 60 , wherein a valve is disposed between said vacuum pump and said drying vessel. 
     
     
         62 . The apparatus according to  claim 53 , wherein said vents and/or valves comprise one or more fluid lines whose inside diameter is sufficiently small to maintain a backpressure sufficient to maintain the supercritical pressure of said alcohol or CO 2 . 
     
     
         63 . The apparatus of  claim 62 , wherein said fluid lines have an inside diameter sufficiently small to maintain a backpressure sufficient to maintain the supercritical pressure of alcohol during supercritical drying of alcohol. 
     
     
         64 . The apparatus of  claim 62 , wherein said fluid lines have an inside diameter sufficiently small to maintain a backpressure sufficient to maintain the supercritical pressure of CO 2  during supercritical drying of CO 2 . 
     
     
         65 . The apparatus according to  claim 53 , wherein said vents and/or valves further comprise a condenser configured to liquefy alcohol or CO 2  passing through said vents and/or valves. 
     
     
         66 . The apparatus according to  claim 53 , wherein said apparatus comprises a heat exchanger to exchange heat from said CO 2  or alcohol passing through said vents and/or valves to a heat exchange fluid. 
     
     
         67 . The apparatus of  claim 66 , wherein said heat exchange is coupled to another heat exchanger to that said heat exchange fluid heats said supercritical drying vessel and/or alcohol introduced into said supercritical drying vessel. 
     
     
         68 .- 78 . (canceled) 
     
     
         79 . A method of fabricating an aerogel insulator, said method comprising:
 providing a container characterized by an inner wall and an outer wall that define an internal volume between said walls, and one or more ports into said volume;   introducing an aerogel precursor comprising a silicon alkoxide, an alcohol and a catalyst into said internal volume through said one or more ports to provide the container defining the internal volume containing the aerogel precursor;   allowing said aerogel to polymerize; and   (a) placing said container defining the internal volume containing the aerogel precursor into a supercritical drying vessel, where the supercritical drying vessel comprises one or more vents and/or valves that permit fluid flow out of said chamber and wherein said vessel comprises a port in communication with a vacuum source;   (b) supercritical drying said aerogel precursor by heating said vessel while allowing the pressure in said vessel to increase until a supercritical temperature and pressure is reached and maintaining said supercritical temperature and pressure for a period sufficient to dry the aerogel;   (c) returning the vessel to atmospheric pressure, and optionally to room temperature;   (d) maintaining the heating of vessel or reheating said vessel if it has been returned to room temperature, and applying a vacuum to said port in communication with a vacuum source to degas remaining water in said aerogel and provide a dry aerogel; and   (e) returning said dry aerogel to room temperature and pressure;   during or after step (d) or after step (e) applying a partial vacuum to said container; and   sealing said one or more ports into said internal volume to provide a sealed internal volume containing an aerogel at a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure.   
     
     
         80 . The method  claim 79 , wherein said partial vacuum is about 50,000 Pa or lower, or about 25,000 Pa or lower or about 15,000 Pa or lower or 40,000 Pa or lower or about 20,000 Pa or lower or about 10,000 Pa or lower, or about 5,000 Pa or lower or about 15,000 Pa or lower, or about 1300 Pa or lower, or about 1200 Pa or lower, or about 1100 Pa or lower, or about 1000 Pa or lower, or between about 400 Pa and about 1300 Pa, or between about 600 Pa and about 1200 Pa, or between about 800 Pa and about 1100 Pa, or between about 900 Pa and about 1100 Pa. 
     
     
         81 . The method  claim 79 , wherein said partial vacuum is about 1000 Pa. 
     
     
         82 . The method according to  claim 79 , wherein said walls comprise a material selected from the group consisting of glass, quartz, and plastic. 
     
     
         83 . The method according to  claim 79 , wherein said walls comprise a high melting point plastic. 
     
     
         84 . The method of  claim 83 , wherein said walls comprise a plastic selected from the group consisting of polyimide, and Teflon. 
     
     
         85 . The method according to  claim 79 , wherein said two walls are formed from concentric tubes. 
     
     
         86 . The method according to  claim 79 , wherein said two walls are formed from planar sheets or films welded or cemented together. 
     
     
         87 . The method according to  claim 79 , wherein said method further includes adding one or more additional layers of vacuum insulation. 
     
     
         88 . The method according to  claim 79 , wherein said method further comprises adding or depositing one or more layers of reflective films on an internal or external surface of one or both of said walls.