(12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2014/0287641 A1 Steiner, III (43) Pub
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US 20140287641A1 (19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2014/0287641 A1 Steiner, III (43) Pub. Date: Sep. 25, 2014 (54) LAYERED AEROGEL COMPOSITES, USPC ..... 442/223; 428/319.1; 428/319.3: 442/221; RELATED AEROGEL MATERIALS, AND 442/224; 442/320: 442/370; 442/373; 442/326; METHODS OF MANUFACTURE 428/314.2: 428/316.6: 442/372: 442/324; 428/317.1; 428/309.9; 428/221 (71) Applicant: Aerogel Technologies, LLC, Glendale, WI (US) (57) ABSTRACT (72) Inventor: Stephen A. Steiner, III, Cambridge, MA (US) Composites comprising aerogel materials are generally described. Layered aerogel composites may be of great utility (73) Assignee: Aerogel Technologies, LLC, Glendale, for a wide variety of applications including lightweight struc WI (US) tures, ballistic panels, multilayer thermal and acoustic insu lation, spacecraft reentry shielding, Supercapacitors, batter (21) Appl. No.: 14/214,887 ies, acoustic insulation, and flexible garments. Layered aerogel composites may be prepared by combing layers of (22) Filed: Mar 15, 2014 fiber-containing sheets and multisheet plies with aerogel materials. Composites comprising mechanically strong aero Related U.S. Application Data gels and reticulated aerogel structures are described. Various (60) Provisional application No. 61/799,460, filed on Mar. nanocomposite aerogel materials may be prepared to facili 15, 2013. tate production of composites with desirable functions and properties. Layered aerogel composites and related aerogel Publication Classification materials described in the present disclosure have not been previously possible due to a lack of viable aerogel formula (51) Int. C. tions, a lack of methods for adhering and joining aerogel B32B5/24 (2006.01) materials to each other and other materials, and a lack of B32B 9/00 (2006.01) methods that enable combining offibrous materials and aero B32B5/26 (2006.01) gels into layered structures in the same material envelope. (52) U.S. C. Aerogel composites described herein enable specific capa CPC. B32B5/245 (2013.01); B32B5/26 (2013.01); bilities that have not been previously possible with aerogels B32B 9/007 (2013.01); B32B 2262/02 or through other means, for example, the ability to efficiency (2013.01); B32B 2262/106 (2013.01); B32B slow impacts from bullets and other ballistic bodies using a 2266/06 (2013.01); B32B 2266/0214 (2013.01); lightweight (<2 g/cm density) material, bear load as struc B32B 2307/54 (2013.01); B32B 2307/72 tural members at a fraction of the weight of conventional (2013.01); B32B 2571/02 (2013.01); B32B technologies, or simultaneously serve as a structural or flex 2307/30 (2013.01); B32B 2307/558 (2013.01) ible material that stores electrical energy. Exploded View With Multilayer Plies Exploded View With Single-Sheet Plies Patent Application Publication Sep. 25, 2014 Sheet 1 of 23 US 2014/0287641 A1 Patent Application Publication Sep. 25, 2014 Sheet 2 of 23 US 2014/0287641 A1 f Patent Application Publication Sep. 25, 2014 Sheet 3 of 23 US 2014/0287641 A1 Patent Application Publication Sep. 25, 2014 Sheet 4 of 23 US 2014/0287641 A1 8 w S Patent Application Publication Sep. 25, 2014 Sheet 5 of 23 US 2014/0287641 A1 S : Patent Application Publication Sep. 25, 2014 Sheet 6 of 23 US 2014/0287641 A1 s Patent Application Publication Sep. 25, 2014 Sheet 7 of 23 US 2014/0287641 A1 S. & & S S. S. 3 S. S. f f f f N Patent Application Publication Sep. 25, 2014 Sheet 8 of 23 US 2014/0287641 A1 ZE 63 92 63 83 09 Patent Application Publication Sep. 25, 2014 Sheet 9 of 23 US 2014/0287641 A1 99 28 6(61-) Patent Application Publication Sep. 25, 2014 Sheet 10 of 23 US 2014/0287641 A1 Patent Application Publication Sep. 25, 2014 Sheet 11 of 23 US 2014/0287641 A1 Patent Application Publication Sep. 25, 2014 Sheet 12 of 23 US 2014/0287641 A1 S. Patent Application Publication Sep. 25, 2014 Sheet 13 of 23 US 2014/0287641 A1 Patent Application Publication Sep. 25, 2014 Sheet 14 of 23 US 2014/0287641 A1 Patent Application Publication Sep. 25, 2014 Sheet 15 of 23 US 2014/0287641 A1 Patent Application Publication Sep. 25, 2014 Sheet 16 of 23 US 2014/0287641 A1 Patent Application Publication Sep. 25, 2014 Sheet 17 of 23 US 2014/0287641 A1 Patent Application Publication Sep. 25, 2014 Sheet 18 of 23 US 2014/0287641 A1 Patent Application Publication Sep. 25, 2014 Sheet 19 of 23 US 2014/0287641 A1 se st f a -- f 6 Patent Application Publication Sep. 25, 2014 Sheet 20 of 23 US 2014/0287641 A1 Patent Application Publication Sep. 25, 2014 Sheet 21 of 23 US 2014/0287641 A1 Patent Application Publication Sep. 25, 2014 Sheet 22 of 23 US 2014/0287641 A1 Patent Application Publication Sep. 25, 2014 Sheet 23 of 23 US 2014/0287641 A1 US 2014/0287641 A1 Sep. 25, 2014 LAYERED AEROGEL COMPOSITES, aerogel composites with good flexibility may serve as useful RELATED AEROGEL MATERIALS, AND insulation for garments. In other embodiments, layered aero METHODS OF MANUFACTURE gel composites are highly effective ballistic materials useful for bullet-proof vests, armored vehicle cladding, and ener CROSS-REFERENCED TO RELATED getic flames or jets. In some embodiments, layered aerogel APPLICATIONS composites may be useful in space applications including 0001. This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional micrometeoroid/space debris protection and vehicle reentry Application No. 61/799,460 filed Mar. 15, 2013, entitled shielding. In further embodiments, layered aerogel compos “LAYERED AEROGEL COMPOSITES, RELATED ites may serve as high stiffness-to-weight ratio materials Suit AEROGEL MATERIALS, AND METHODS OF MANU able for lightweight structures, aircraft and automotive parts, FACTURE. the entire contents of which is incorporated and high-performance sports equipment. herein by reference in its entirety. 0009. In an embodiment, a structure is provided. The structure includes bonded alternating layers of at least an BACKGROUND aerogel material and at least one of a fibrous sheet, a plastic sheet, a plastic plate, a ceramic sheet, a ceramic plate, and a 0002 1. Field multilayerply, the multilayer ply comprising multiple fibrous 0003 Aspects herein relate to layered composites of aero sheets bonded together. gel materials and non-aerogel materials (e.g., fibrous sheets 0010. In another embodiment, a structure is provided. The and laminates), uses thereof, and methods of preparation. For structure includes alternating layers of aerogel material example, the composites may include mechanically strong wherein said layers are bonded to each other. composites with multifunctional properties. 0011. In another embodiment, a structure is provided. The 0004 2. Discussion of Related Art structure includes alternating layers of aerogel material 0005 Aerogels are a diverse class of low-density solid wherein said layers are joined to each other by an array of materials comprised of a porous three-dimensional network oriented nanostructures. of interconnected nanostructures. Aerogels often exhibit a 0012. In yet another embodiment, a method for fabricating wide array of desirable materials properties including high a layered aerogel composite is provided. The method includes specific Surface area, low bulk density, high specific strength providing a first layer, the layer comprising at least a fibrous and stiffness, low thermal conductivity, and low dielectric sheet or a multilayer laminate; applying a second layer to the constant, among others. Certain aerogel compositions may first layer, the layer comprising an aerogel material; applying combine several of these properties into the same material a third layer to the second layer, the layer comprising another envelope and may thus be advantageous for applications fibrous sheet or multilayer laminate; bonding or joining the including thermal insulation, acoustic insulation, lightweight first layer to the second layer, and bonding or joining the structures, impact damping, electrodes, catalysts and catalyst second layer to the third layer. Supports, and sensors. 0013. In another embodiment, a method for fabricating a 0006 Laminated fiber-based composites are another class layered aerogel composite is provided. The method includes of materials with numerous materials properties advantages providing a first layer, the layer comprising at least a fibrous including high specific strength and stiffness, tailorable sheet or a multilayer laminate; applying a second layer to the mechanical properties, high specific energy absorption, and first layer, the layer comprising a liquid-phase gel precursor; in some cases good electrical and thermal conductivity. Lami applying a third layer to the second layer, the layer compris nated composites of various types are used in numerous appli ing another fibrous sheet or multilayer laminate; bonding or cations including aerospace structures, boat hulls, bicycle joining the first layer to the second layer, and bonding or frames, high-performance sports equipment, and aircraft joining the second layer to the third layer. brake pads. 0014. In yet another embodiment, a method for fabricating a layered aerogel composite is provided. The method includes SUMMARY providing two layers of aerogel material, each aerogel mate 0007. The present disclosure relates generally to compos rial exhibiting a modulus greater than about 1 MPa, and ites of aerogel materials and non-aerogel materials such as bonding the two layers together. fibrous sheets and/or laminated plies. The inventor has appre 0015. In another embodiment, a method for fabricating a ciated that by combining certain aerogel materials and non layered aerogel composite is provided. The method includes aerogel materials into laminar configurations, composites providing a liquid-phase precursor, contacting with an array with advantages not attainable by either component sepa of orientated nanostructures; forming a gel from said liquid rately can be achieved. In some cases, the resulting compos phase precursor; and forming a second gel in contact with the ite, through an effective linear weighted average of the mate array of orientated nanostructures.