Abstract: The present invention pertains to a functionalized polymeric liquid polysiloxane material comprising non-organofunctional Q-type siloxane moieties and mono-organofunctional T- and/or D-type amino siloxane moieties, as well as optionally tri-organofunctional M-type siloxane moieties. The present invention further pertains to corresponding formulations and methods for producing the polymeric liquid polysiloxane material as well as associated uses of the material.

Abstract: A method of preparing a binder-free bulk silica aerogel material, comprising the steps of: (i) providing an amount of granular silica aerogel material, and (ii) carrying out a curing step wherein the granular silica aerogel material is contacted with a curing medium, thereby converting the granular silica aerogel material to the bulk silica aerogel material. According to the invention, the granular silica aerogel material is hydrophobic, and the curing medium is an aqueous curing medium which is either acidic with a pH<4 or basic with a pH>10. A resulting binder-free bulk silica aerogel material comprises silica aerogel granules which are interface-bonded and has the following properties: a thermal conductivity below 24 mW/(m·K), a compressive strength of at least 5 kPa, a 3-point flexural stress (?f), determined with a specimen having a longest dimension which is four times the specimen thickness, of at least 0.5 kPa.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a polymeric liquid polysiloxane material comprising non-organofunctional Q-type siloxane moieties and optionally mono-organofunctional T-type siloxane moieties, for efficient rearrangement and curing reactions. The present invention further pertains to associated uses of the material.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for producing an aerogel material based on amorphous silica, comprising the following steps: a) preparing a mixture comprising silica sol, alcohol, and a hydrophobizing agent activatable by acid catalysis; b1) adding a base to the mixture formed in step a) and mixing the resulting mixture; b2) gelation of the mixture comprising silica sol obtained in step b2), resulting in the formation of a silica gel, and optional aging of the gel; c) adding a hydrophobization catalyst to the silica gel formed in step b2) and optionally aged, in-situ formation or controlled release of a hydrophobization catalyst, and initiation of the catalyzed hydrophobization of the silica; d) removing the volatile constituents of the mixture formed in step c) by subcritical drying, resulting in the formation of the aerogel material, wherein at least steps b2) to d) are carried out in the same reactor.

Abstract: An ink composition for additive manufacture of silica aerogel objects essentially consists of a gellable silica sol containing an admixture of 30 to 70 vol. % of a mesoporous silica powder in a base solvent. The mesoporous silica powder has a particle size range of 0.001 to 1 mm and a tap density of 30 to 200 kg/m3 and comprises at least 10% by weight of silica aerogel powder. The composition has a yield stress in the range of 30 to 3000 Pa and a viscosity of 5 to 150 Pa·s at a shear rate of 50 s-1. Furthermore, the composition has shear thinning properties defined as a reduction in viscosity by a factor between 10 and 103 for an increase in shear rate by a factor of 104 to 105. A method of additive manufacturing of a three-dimensional silica aerogel object by direct ink writing comprises providing such ink composition, forcing the same through a convergent nozzle, thereby forming a jet of the ink composition which is directed in such manner as to form a three-dimensional object by additive manufacturing.

Abstract: A polymeric liquid material formed of molecular building blocks of core-shell type architecture, wherein each building block consists of a hyperbranched polysiloxane core and a functional siloxane shell peripherally attached thereto, the material comprising bridging oxygen moieties (Si—O—Si), hydrolysable alkoxy moieties (Si—O—R) and organofunctional moieties (R?—Si—) and (R1—S1-R2) and less than 0.5 mass percent hydroxy moieties (Si—OH). The core has a degree of polymerization DPcore in the range of 1.3 to 2.7, the shell is formed of R?-substituted siloxane moieties and has a degree of polymerization DPshell in the range of 0.3 to 2.5. At least 75 atomic percent of all Si atoms in the core are bonded exclusively to alkoxy or bridging oxygens, the remainder each being bonded to 3 oxygens and 1 carbon. The total Si to free hydrolysable alkoxy molar ratio in the material is 1:1.25 to 1:2.75, and the material has a viscosity in the range of 10-100,000 cP.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a functionalized polymeric liquid polysiloxane material comprising non-organofunctional Q-type siloxane moieties and mono-organofunctional T-type siloxane moieties, wherein the material comprises a limited low amount of four-membered Q2-type and/or Q3-type siloxane ring species relative to the total Q-type siloxane species, and has a functionalization-specific degree of polymerization as well as T- to Q-type ratio. The present invention further pertains to methods for producing the polymeric liquid polysiloxane material as well as associated uses of the material.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for producing a hydrophobized silica aerogel, comprising the following steps: a) preparing a hydrophobized silica gel comprising alkoxy groups; b) drying of the hydrophobized silica gel obtained in step a); c) treatment of the product obtained in step b) with a gas mixture comprising water and a base or an acid. A hydrophobized silica aerogel with a reduced alkoxy group content, suitable for thermal insulation applications, is also provided.

Abstract: An ink composition for additive manufacture of silica aerogel objects essentially consists of a gellable silica sol containing an admixture of 30 to 70 vol.% of a mesoporous silica powder in a base solvent. The mesoporous silica powder has a particle size range of 0.001 to 1 mm and a tap density of 30 to 200 kg/m3 and comprises at least 10% by weight of silica aerogel powder. The composition has a yield stress in the range of 30 to 3000 Pa and a viscosity of 5 to 150 Pa·s at a shear rate of 50 s?1. Furthermore, the composition has shear thinning properties defined as a reduction in viscosity by a factor between 10 and 103 for an increase in shear rate by a factor of 104 to 105. A method of additive manufacturing of a three-dimensional silica aerogel object by direct ink writing comprises providing such ink composition, forcing the same through a convergent nozzle, thereby forming a jet of the ink composition which is directed in such manner as to form a three-dimensional object by additive manufacturing.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a branched polymeric liquid poly siloxane material comprising non-organofunctional Q-type siloxane moieties and mono-organofunctional T-type siloxane moieties, as well as optionally tri-organofunctional M-type siloxane moieties and/or di-organofunctional D-type siloxane moieties characterized in that the polysiloxane material has a specified degree of polymerization, comprises a significant amount of four-membered Q2-type and/or Q3-type siloxane ring species relative to the total Q-type siloxane species, and is optionally functionalized at specific moieties. The present invention further pertains to methods for producing the polymeric liquid polysiloxane material as well as associated uses of the material.

Abstract: A new class of liquid polysiloxane materials obtainable from cost-effective commodity precursors allow tailoring a plurality of (multi)—functional properties. The materials are classified in terms of their chemical identity, which comprises Q-type nonorganofunctional, T-type monoorganofunctional and optional D-type diorganofunctional moieties. The T-type organofunctional species within a polymeric MBB can be present in various preferred combinations defined by spatial, stereochemical and compositional factors. The corresponding method of production for the liquid polymeric polysiloxanes involves a scalable, non-hydrolytic acetic anhydride method either in a simple one-step format to create statistically distributed “core-only” hyperbranched poly-alkoxysiloxanes or as a two— or multistep process to create “core-shell” materials.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a functionalized polymeric liquid polysiloxane material comprising non-organofunctional Q-type siloxane moieties and mono-organofunctional T-type siloxane moieties, as well as optionally tri-organofunctional M-type siloxane moieties and/or di-organofunctional D-type siloxane moieties characterized in that the polysiloxane material has a specified degree of polymerization, comprises a limited low amount of four-membered Q2-type and/or Q3-type siloxane ring species relative to the total Q-type siloxane species, and is functionalized at specific moieties. The present invention further pertains to methods for producing the polymeric liquid polysiloxane material as well as associated uses of the material.

Abstract: A polymeric liquid material formed of molecular building blocks of core-shell type architecture, wherein each building block consists of a hyperbranched polysiloxane core and a functional siloxane shell peripherally attached thereto, the material comprising bridging oxygen moieties (Si—O—Si), hydrolysable alkoxy moieties (Si—O—R) and organofunctional moieties (R?—Si—) and (R1-S1-R2) and less than 0.5 mass percent hydroxy moieties (Si—OH). The core has a degree of polymerization DPcore in the range of 1.3 to 2.7, the shell is formed of R?-substituted siloxane moieties and has a degree of polymerization DPshell in the range of 0.3 to 2.5. At least 75 atomic percent of all Si atoms in the core are bonded exclusively to alkoxy or bridging oxygens, the remainder each being bonded to 3 oxygens and 1 carbon. The total Si to free hydrolysable alkoxy molar ratio in the material is 1:1.25 to 1:2.75, and the material has a viscosity in the range of 10-100,000 cP.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for producing an aerogel material based on amorphous silica, comprising the following steps: a) preparing a mixture comprising silica sol, alcohol, and a hydrophobizing agent activatable by acid catalysis; b1) adding a base to the mixture formed in step a) and mixing the resulting mixture; b2) gelation of the mixture comprising silica sol obtained in step b2), resulting in the formation of a silica gel, and optional aging of the gel; c) adding a hydrophobization catalyst to the silica gel formed in step b2) and optionally aged, in-situ formation or controlled release of a hydrophobization catalyst, and initiation of the catalyzed hydrophobization of the silica; d) removing the volatile constituents of the mixture formed in step c) by subcritical drying, resulting in the formation of the aerogel material, wherein at least steps b2) to d) are carried out in the same reactor.

Abstract: In order to produce a high performance thermally insulating rendering, a dry blend is provided that consists essentially of: —60 to 90 Vol.-% of a hydrophobized granular silica aerogel; —0.5 to 30 Vol.-% of a purely mineral binder; —0.2 to 20 Vol.-% of an open-porous water-insoluble or slowly water soluble additive having an accessible pore volume from 10 to 90 Vol.-%; —up to 5 Vol.-% reinforcing fibers; and—up to 5 Vol.-% of processing additives. After mixing the dry blend with water, the slurry thus formed can be applied to a surface or shaped to a self-supporting body using an overpressure without adversely affecting the thermal insulation properties.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing an aerogel material with a porosity of at least 0.55 and an average pore size of 10 nm to 500 nm, having the following steps: a) preparing and optionally activating a sol; b) filling the sol into a casting mold (10); c) gelling the sol, whereby a gel is produced, and subsequently aging the gel; at least one of the following steps d) and e), d) substituting the pore liquid with a solvent; e) chemically modifying the aged and optionally solvent-substituted gel (6) using a reaction agent; followed by f) drying the gel, whereby the aerogel material is formed. The casting mold used in step b) is provided with a plurality of channel-forming elements (2) which are designed such that the sol filled into the casting mold lies overall at a maximum distance X from a channel-forming element over a specified minimum length L defined in the channel direction of the elements, with the proviso that X<15 mm and L/X>3.

Abstract: A process for the production of an aerogel material comprises the following steps: a) preparation of a silicon oxide sol in an alcoholic solvent mixture; b) triggering of the gelation of the sol by adding base, whereby a gel is formed, and optionally aging of the gel; c) hydrophobicization of the optionally aged gel; d) removal of the solvent mixture by subcritical drying, whereby the aerogel material is formed. The silicon oxide sol formed in step a) comprises at least one acid-catalytically activatable hydrophobicization agent, wherein the volume fraction of the hydrophobicization agent in the sol is 5 to 60%. The hydrophobicization in step c) is induced as a result of release or addition of at least one hydrophobicization catalyst acting in combination with the hydrophobicization agent.

Abstract: In order to produce a high performance thermally insulating rendering, a dry blend is provided that consists essentially of: —60 to 90 Vol.-% of a hydrophobized granular silica aerogel; —0.5 to 30 Vol.-% of a purely mineral binder; —0.2 to 20 Vol.-% of an open-porous water-insoluble or slowly water soluble additive having an accessible pore volume from 10 to 90 Vol.-%—up to 5 Vol.-% reinforcing fibers; and—up to 5 Vol.-% of processing additives. After mixing the dry blend with water, the slurry thus formed can be applied to a surface or shaped to a self-supporting body using an overpressure without adversely affecting the thermal insulation properties.

Abstract: A composite object comprises two components (2a, 2b) made of an oxidic material which is ion conductive at an elevated temperature, said components being joined to each other in a medium-tight manner by way of a solder bridge (4) in a connection zone (6) located therebetween. In order to form a reliable connection, it is proposed that the solder bridge is formed by a low-melting tin alloy that has a weight proportion of at least 65%w tin and a melting point of maximally 350° C. and comprises at least one activating metal as an alloying constituent.