Development of a continuous scalable process for the production of bio-based aerogels.

• Applicant: Professorin Dr.-Ing. Irina Smirnova
• Subject Area: Chemical and Thermal Process Engineering
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 550387580

Aerogels are highly porous materials with a high specific surface area, low density, low thermal conductivity and excellent sorption properties. Thanks to these properties, aerogels can be used in many different fields. Generally, aerogels are produced by extracting a solvent from the gel body, which is done in a batch process using supercritical CO2. This is the most complex and also cost-intensive step in the production of aerogels and a main reason why organic aerogels have not yet been able to establish themselves on the market. In a batch process, dead times occur and drying is also inefficient, which is why a large amount of CO2 is consumed. A far more effective process is continuous supercritical countercurrent drying. Therefore, within the scope of this research project, in-depth knowledge of the basic mechanisms of mass transport and fluid dynamics during the continuous supercritical countercurrent drying of nanoporous aerogel particles and the subsequent continuous depressurisation will be obtained. The results obtained on a laboratory scale are to serve as the basis for a simulation model and for subsequent upscaling. Furthermore, the transferability of the process from alginate aerogels to other material systems is to be investigated.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants