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Cellulose–silica composite aerogels from “one-pot” synthesis

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Abstract

Cellulose–silica composite aerogels were prepared via “one-pot” process: aqueous solutions of cellulose–8 wt% NaOH and sodium silicate were mixed, coagulated and dried with supercritical CO2. The system was studied both in the fluid and solid (dry) states. Cellulose and sodium silicate solutions were mixed at different temperatures and concentrations; mixture properties were monitored using dynamic rheology. The gelation time of the mixture was strongly reduced as compared to that of cellulose–NaOH solutions; we interpret this phenomenon as cellulose self-aggregation inducing partial coagulation due to competition for the solvent with sodium silicate. The gelled cellulose/sodium silicate samples were placed in aqueous acid solution which completed cellulose coagulation and led to in situ formation of sub-micronic silica particles trapped in a porous cellulose matrix. After drying with supercritical CO2, an organic–inorganic aerogel composite was formed. The densities obtained were in the range of 0.10–0.25 g/cm3 and the specific surface area was between 100 and 200 m2/g. The silica phase was shown to have a reinforcing effect on the cellulose aerogel, increasing its Young’s modulus.

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Acknowledgments

Research leading to these results were funded within the 7th EU Framework Program, (FP7/2007-2013), under grant agreement no. 260141, AEROCOINS project. Authors thank Pierre Ilbizian (PERSEE, MINES ParisTech) for supercritical drying and Suzanne Jacomet (CEMEF, MINES ParisTech) for help in SEM experiments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CEMEF - Centre de Mise en Forme des Matériaux, UMR CNRS 7635, MINES ParisTech, CS 10207 rue Claude Daunesse, 06904, Sophia Antipolis Cedex, France

    Arnaud Demilecamps & Tatiana Budtova

  2. PERSEE - Centre procédés, énergies renouvelables, et systèmes énergétiques, MINES ParisTech, CS 10207 rue Claude Daunesse, 06904, Sophia Antipolis Cedex, France

    Arnaud Rigacci

  3. Bavarian Center for Applied Energy Research, Am Galgenberg 87, 97074, Würzburg, Germany

    Gudrun Reichenauer

Authors
  1. Arnaud Demilecamps
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  2. Gudrun Reichenauer
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  3. Arnaud Rigacci
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  4. Tatiana Budtova
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Correspondence to Tatiana Budtova.

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Demilecamps, A., Reichenauer, G., Rigacci, A. et al. Cellulose–silica composite aerogels from “one-pot” synthesis. Cellulose 21, 2625–2636 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-014-0314-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10570-014-0314-3

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