Sol-Gel technologies
■ Technology has revealed a need for materials with a mineral and thermostable skeleton and therefore a finer and more complex structure. This requires a strictly controlled composition comprised of a higher number atoms of different types in the base pattern.
The possibilities of sol-gel techniques have thus been more carefully looked into to meet, for example, needs of homogenous catalysts in organic chemistry, micro-electronics, etc. Sol-gel techniques have been the subject of researchers’ attention for dozens of years. They learned to “play” with mineral precursors (metallic or non-metallic hydroxides) and then organic minerals, which are more varied and have a wider use, although more expensive (organic salts, complex salts and chelates). Little by little, sol-gel techniques have demonstrated their possibilities.
Today, we have good command of the processes, including on a large scale. Access is now open to different innovative products or semi-finished products; this makes it possible to meet market needs (moulding pulp, sheets or strips to cut, to mould, etc.) and to comply with more and more demanding specifications in terms of texture and resistance to high temperature, from large parts to nano-materials.
After presenting the main characteristics of raw materials and transformation processes, this survey details a few emerging applications, such as aerogels, super-insulators, functional coatings or electrographic, electro- or magnetorheologic fluids, etc., which are used in a very large number of industries where developers seek exceptional products.
- Publication: June 2003
- 2-906024-32-5
- Price for single work station: 350 euros, ex. tax
- Price for several work stations: 950 euros, ex. tax
