ON THE WAY TO COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION OF SILICA AEROGEL

Basogel (R), the BASF aerogel based on silica, has been developed almost to market readiness over the past few years. Major process engineering and economic questions regarding the individual stages of aerogel production were investigated and clarified as a prerequisite for the construction of a production plant. By setting up a pilot plant with an annual capacity of 200-300 m(3), it has been possible to supply potential major customers in key segments with limited quantities in preparation for the market launch. The aerogels produced in this plant are obtained in the form of X-ray amorphous SiO2 beads 2-6 mm in diameter, and their most important properties are continuously monitored, mixtures of 25-40 wt% of finely milled aerogel powders with bead material permit thermal conductivities as low as 0.016 W m(-1) K-1. These values remain unchanged over a long period under ambient conditions. By opacifying with dopants, such as carbon black or inorganic oxides, the insulation effect has been improved and the servicable temperature range for use as an insulating material extended to include higher and lower temperatures.