Method for producing silica aerogel blanket and apparatus for producing same

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for producing a silica aerogel blanket and an apparatus for producing the same, which are capable of easily controlling the physical properties of a silica aerogel blanket by separately injecting silica sol and a gelation catalyst to control gelation time, improving aerogel pore structure to be uniform and improving thermal insulation performance by sufficiently and uniformly impregnating the silica and the gelation catalyst into a blanket, reducing the loss of silica sol and gelation catalyst by allowing the silica sol and the gelation catalyst to pass on an ascending slope before gelation to remove any excessive silica sol and gelation catalyst exceeding an appropriate impregnation amount, and providing a silica aerogel blanket having less process trouble, and less dust.

1 . An apparatus for producing a silica aerogel blanket, the apparatus comprising:
 an impregnation tank having a first side and an opposite second side in which a blanket is impregnated with silica sol and a gelation catalyst;   a blanket supply apparatus connected to the first side of the impregnation tank that supplies a blanket;   a silica sol injector for injecting silica sol into the impregnation tank such that the supplied blanket is impregnated with the silica sol;   a gelation catalyst injector for injecting a gelation catalyst into the impregnation tank such that the supplied blanket is impregnated with the gelling catalyst;   an ascending slope connected to the second side of the impregnation tank; and   a moving element connected to the ascending slope and on which the blanket impregnated with the silica sol and the gelation catalyst is gelled, the ascending slope transferring the blanket impregnated with the silica sol and the gelation catalyst from the impregnation tank to the moving element.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 the moving element is located above the impregnation tank.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 the silica sol injector and the gelation catalyst injector each further comprise a separate control device for controlling an injection rate from each injector.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 the silica sol injector and the gelation catalyst injector are located above or below the impregnation tank.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 the silica sol injector and the gelation catalyst injector are respectively one or more.   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 the impregnation tank further comprises a squeeze roller for inducing the impregnation of silica sol and a gelation catalyst into the inside of a blanket.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 the angle of the ascending slope is greater than 0° to less than 180°.   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 the moving element further comprises one or more scrapers.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , further comprising a flow meter independently attached to each nozzle.