Flexible Aerogels
Department
Chemical and Biochemical Engineering
Major
Chemical Engineering
Research Advisor
Sotiriou-Leventis, Lia
Advisor's Department
Chemistry
Funding Source
Missouri S&T Opportunities for Undergraduate Research Experiences (OURE) Program; United States Army Research Office (W911NF-10-1-0476)
Abstract
Aerogels are open-pore, ultra-low density solids with very high surface areas, low thermal conductivities, high acoustic impedance, and low dielectric constants. Because of these properties, aerogels are attractive multifunctional materials for applications in aerospace, automotive, chemical, and construction industries. However, aerogels are often rigid and fragile. That is addressed herein with two different types of polyurethane aerogels, where flexibility is imparted by varying the chemical structure and concentration of the monomers.
These flexible aerogels may find use in highly insulating clothing for divers, astronauts, and mountain climbers. Their high surface area may find applications as catalyst supports, in microfluidic devices used in biotechnology, and in fuel cells. Importantly, the impressive strength-to-weight ratio of higher-density polyurethane aerogels renders them attractive as energy absorbers for defense applications.
Biography
Clayton was born in St. Charles, Missouri. At age 16, he enrolled in the Missouri Academy of Science, Mathematics, and Computing, and graduated at the top of his class, earning an Associate of Science Degree and High School Diploma simultaneously. He now attends the Missouri University of Science and Technology, and is working on a Bachelor’s Degree in Biochemical Engineering. After completing this, he will attend Medical School, and hopes to make meaningful contributions to the field of oncology.
Research Category
Sciences
Presentation Type
Poster Presentation
Document Type
Poster
Award
2012-13 OURE Fellows / Award Recipient
Location
Upper Atrium/Hallway
Presentation Date
10 Apr 2012, 9:00 am - 11:45 am
Flexible Aerogels
Upper Atrium/Hallway
Aerogels are open-pore, ultra-low density solids with very high surface areas, low thermal conductivities, high acoustic impedance, and low dielectric constants. Because of these properties, aerogels are attractive multifunctional materials for applications in aerospace, automotive, chemical, and construction industries. However, aerogels are often rigid and fragile. That is addressed herein with two different types of polyurethane aerogels, where flexibility is imparted by varying the chemical structure and concentration of the monomers.
These flexible aerogels may find use in highly insulating clothing for divers, astronauts, and mountain climbers. Their high surface area may find applications as catalyst supports, in microfluidic devices used in biotechnology, and in fuel cells. Importantly, the impressive strength-to-weight ratio of higher-density polyurethane aerogels renders them attractive as energy absorbers for defense applications.
Comments
Joint Project with Patrick McCarver