PROCESS FOR PREPARING MONOLITHS OF AEROGELS OF METAL OXIDES

摘要

Process for preparing monoliths of an aerogel of at least one oxide, which process comprises the following operating steps: (a) mixing an alkoxide of at least one metal with water in the presence of an acidic catalyst to form a mixture; (b) hydrolyzing the mixture obtained in step (a) to form a hydrolysate; (c) adding an oxide of at least one metal as a fine powder having a high specific surface area to the hydrolysate of step (b) to ~orm a colloidal solution; (d) causing the colloidal solution of step (c) to become a gel; (e) washing the gel; (f) drying the gel at values of temperature and pressure which are higher than the critical pressure and temperature values of the solvent used for the washing to form said monolith. The process allows quantitative fields of fault-free monoliths.