Creating aerogel with supercritical methanol

TL;DR

The content explores a new method of drying AOG gel using supercritical methanol, which provides a higher density and less shrinkage compared to the traditional supercritical CO2 method.

Transcript

hey everyone I'm going to show you another method to dry AOG gel so in my previous videos I showed a methanol bath and then an exchange into liquid CO2 and then CO2 into Super critical CO2 where we can remove it without uh distorting the aerogel structure but there's an easier way actually um instead of transferring into liquid CO2 we can make the ... Read More

Key Insights

• 😇 The supercritical methanol method for drying AOG gel provides higher density and less shrinkage compared to the supercritical CO2 method.
• 🍵 Handling methanol at extreme temperatures and pressures poses safety concerns.
• 😇 A metal container can be used to mold lower density AOG gels to avoid cracking during demolding.
• ❓ The interaction between supercritical methanol and aluminum remains unclear.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is the difference between the supercritical methanol method and the supercritical CO2 method for drying AOG gel?

The supercritical methanol method involves bringing methanol to high temperatures and pressures, while the supercritical CO2 method requires transferring the gel into liquid CO2. The methanol method provides higher density and less shrinkage compared to the CO2 method.

Q: Is the supercritical methanol method safe to perform?

The supercritical methanol method is considered dangerous due to the high temperatures and pressures involved. The risk of handling methanol and maintaining the equipment at the required conditions makes it a potentially hazardous experiment.

Q: Why do the AOG gels made using the supercritical methanol method have less shrinkage?

The exact reason for the reduced shrinkage in AOG gels obtained through the supercritical methanol method is unknown. However, the methanol method yields larger-sized gels compared to the same mold used in the supercritical CO2 method.

Q: How can the lower density AOG gels be successfully formed without cracking?

Lower density AOG gels tend to crack during the molding process. To prevent this, the gel can be formed in a metal container and placed inside the drying chamber without the need for demolding, similar to the CO2 method.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The video demonstrates a new method for drying AOG gel using supercritical methanol instead of liquid CO2.

• The supercritical methanol method results in less shrinkage and higher density compared to the traditional supercritical CO2 method.

• The process involves heating methanol to extreme temperatures and pressures, making it a potentially dangerous experiment.