Aerocellulose: Aerogels and aerogel-like materials made from cellulose

Cellulose aerogels have been prepared starting from cellulose-NMMO solutions via the classical aerogel-path. Different cellulosic materials have been tested and their influence on the properties of the product aerogels has been studied. other parameters that have been varied include solution composition as well as the way of cellulose regeneration (solvent and temperature). More than 300 different samples were prepared and analysed. Their density is in a typical range from 0.02 g/cm(2) to 0.2 g/cm(3) and their internal surface area ranges from 100 m(2)/g to 400 m(2)/g. Another property investigated in detail beside density and internal surface area was the shrinkage of the cellulosic bodies during the production process.