JP7107321B2 - Dispersions and airgel particles - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to dispersions and airgel particles.

Airgel is known as a material that is excellent in heat insulation, transparency, and the like. It is being studied to process airgel having such properties into particles and apply them to various uses. For example, it has been proposed to use particulate airgel as a filler between resin plates or the like that constitute a heat insulating window (for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2012-91943 A

By the way, if particulate airgel can be dispersed in a dispersion medium, it is expected to be used as a dispersion liquid, which is different from the case where the particles themselves are handled. However, when the particulate airgel described in Patent Document 1 is used, aggregation occurs in the dispersion medium, making it impossible to prepare a dispersion in the first place.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a dispersion liquid in which airgel particles are suitably dispersed. Another object of the present invention is to provide airgel particles for preparing the dispersion.

As a result of intensive studies to achieve the above object, the inventors of the present invention have found that airgel particles having a predetermined specific surface area can exhibit excellent dispersibility in a dispersion medium.

The present invention provides a dispersion containing airgel particles having a specific surface area of 350 m ² /g or less and a dispersion medium. Such dispersions are excellent in dispersibility, unlike those containing airgel particles obtained by the prior art.

In the present invention, the dispersion medium can contain an organic solvent. Thereby, the dispersibility of the airgel particles can be further improved.

The present invention also provides airgel particles having a specific surface area of 350 m ² /g or less. Such airgel particles can exhibit excellent dispersibility in a dispersion medium as described above. Therefore, the airgel particles of the present invention can also be called airgel particles for dispersion liquid preparation.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the dispersion liquid which airgel particles disperse|distributed suitably can be provided. The invention can also provide airgel particles for preparing such dispersions.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. In this specification, a numerical range indicated using "to" indicates a range including the numerical values before and after "to" as the minimum and maximum values, respectively. "A or B" may include either one of A and B, and may include both. The materials exemplified in this embodiment can be used singly or in combination of two or more unless otherwise specified.

<Aerogel>
In a narrow sense, a dry gel obtained by supercritical drying of a wet gel is called aerogel, a dry gel obtained by drying under atmospheric pressure is called xerogel, and a dry gel obtained by freeze-drying is called cryogel. However, in the present embodiment, the resulting low-density dried gel is referred to as an "aerogel" regardless of these drying techniques for wet gels. That is, in the present embodiment, "aerogel" is aerogel in a broad sense. ” means. In general, the inside of an airgel has a network-like fine structure, and has a cluster structure in which particulate airgel components of about 2 to 20 nm are bonded. Between the frameworks formed by these clusters are pores less than 100 nm. As a result, the airgel has a three-dimensional fine porous structure. In addition, the airgel which concerns on this embodiment is a silica airgel which has silica as a main component, for example. Examples of silica airgel include so-called organic-inorganic hybridized silica airgel into which an organic group (such as a methyl group) or an organic chain is introduced.

The airgel according to this embodiment includes the following aspects. By adopting these aspects, it becomes easy to obtain an airgel excellent in heat insulation, flame retardancy, heat resistance and flexibility. By adopting each aspect, it is possible to obtain an airgel having thermal insulation, flame retardancy, heat resistance and flexibility according to each aspect.

(First aspect)
The airgel according to this embodiment can have a structure represented by the following general formula (1). The airgel according to this embodiment can have a structure represented by the following general formula (1a) as a structure containing the structure represented by formula (1).

In formulas (1) and (1a), R ¹ and R ² each independently represent an alkyl group or an aryl group, and R ³ and R ⁴ each independently represent an alkylene group. Here, the aryl group includes a phenyl group, a substituted phenyl group, and the like. Substituents for the substituted phenyl group include an alkyl group, a vinyl group, a mercapto group, an amino group, a nitro group, a cyano group and the like. p represents an integer from 1 to 50; In formula (1a), two or more R ¹ 's may be the same or different, and two or more R ² 's may be the same or different. In formula (1a), two R ³ may be the same or different, and similarly, two R ⁴ may be the same or different.

By introducing the structure represented by the above formula (1) or formula (1a) as an airgel component into the skeleton of the airgel, a low thermal conductivity and flexible airgel can be obtained. From this point of view, in formulas (1) and (1a), R ¹ and R ² each independently include an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, a phenyl group, and the like. and the like. In formulas (1) and (1a), R ³ and R ⁴ each independently include an alkylene group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, and examples of the alkylene group include an ethylene group and a propylene group. be done. In formula (1a), p can be 2-30, and may be 5-20.

(Second aspect)
The airgel according to the present embodiment can have a ladder-type structure comprising a strut portion and a bridging portion, and the bridging portion can have a structure represented by the following general formula (2). Heat resistance and mechanical strength can be improved by introducing such a ladder structure as an airgel component into the skeleton of the airgel. In the present embodiment, the “ladder structure” refers to a structure having two struts and bridges that connect the struts (having a so-called “ladder” form) is. In this embodiment, the skeleton of the airgel may have a ladder-type structure, or the airgel may partially have a ladder-type structure.

In formula (2), R ⁵ and R ⁶ each independently represent an alkyl group or an aryl group, and b represents an integer of 1-50. Here, the aryl group includes a phenyl group, a substituted phenyl group, and the like. Substituents for the substituted phenyl group include alkyl groups, vinyl groups, mercapto groups, amino groups, nitro groups, cyano groups and the like. In formula (2), when b is an integer of 2 or more, two or more R ⁵ may be the same or different, and two or more R ⁶ may also be the same. may also be different.

By introducing the above structure into the airgel skeleton as an airgel component, for example, it has a structure derived from a conventional ladder-type silsesquioxane (i.e., has a structure represented by the following general formula (X)) It becomes an airgel having flexibility superior to that of an airgel. Silsesquioxane is a polysiloxane having a compositional formula: (RSiO _1.5 ) _n and can have various skeleton structures such as a cage type, ladder type and random type. In addition, as shown by the following general formula (X), in the airgel having a structure derived from a conventional ladder-type silsesquioxane, the structure of the bridging portion is -O-, but the airgel according to the present embodiment Then, the structure of the bridging portion is the structure (polysiloxane structure) represented by the general formula (2). However, the airgel of this aspect may have a structure derived from silsesquioxane in addition to the structure represented by general formula (2).

In formula (X), R represents a hydroxy group, an alkyl group or an aryl group.

The structure and chain length of the struts, and the spacing of the structure that serves as the bridging portion are not particularly limited. 3) may have a ladder-type structure.

In formula (3), R ⁵ , R ⁶ , R ⁷ and R ⁸ each independently represent an alkyl group or an aryl group, a and c each independently represent an integer of 1 to 3000, b is 1 to 50 Indicates an integer. Here, the aryl group includes a phenyl group, a substituted phenyl group, and the like. Substituents for the substituted phenyl group include alkyl groups, vinyl groups, mercapto groups, amino groups, nitro groups, cyano groups and the like. In formula (3), when b is an integer of 2 or more, two or more R ⁵ may be the same or different, and two or more R ⁶ may also be the same. may also be different. In formula (3), when a is an integer of 2 or more, two or more R ⁷ may be the same or different, and similarly when c is an integer of 2 or more, two or more each R ⁸ may be the same or different.

From the viewpoint of obtaining better flexibility, in formulas (2) and (3), R ⁵ , R ⁶ , R ⁷ and R ⁸ (wherein R ⁷ and R ⁸ are only in formula (3)) each independently include an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, a phenyl group and the like, and the alkyl group includes a methyl group and the like. Further, in formula (3), a and c can be independently 6 to 2,000, but may be 10 to 1,000. In formulas (2) and (3), b can be 2 to 30, but may be 5 to 20.

(Third aspect)
The airgel according to the present embodiment is at least selected from the group consisting of a silicon compound having a hydrolyzable functional group or a condensable functional group, and a hydrolysis product of a silicon compound having a hydrolyzable functional group It may be a dried wet gel that is a condensate of a sol containing one type of sol (obtained by drying a wet gel produced from a sol: a dried wet gel derived from a sol). The airgel described so far may also be obtained by drying a wet gel produced from a sol containing a silicon compound or the like.

A polysiloxane compound can be used as the silicon compound having a hydrolyzable functional group or a condensable functional group. That is, the sol is at least selected from the group consisting of a polysiloxane compound having a hydrolyzable functional group or a condensable functional group, and a hydrolysis product of a polysiloxane compound having a hydrolyzable functional group. It can contain one type of compound (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "polysiloxane compound group").

The functional groups in the polysiloxane compound are not particularly limited, but may be groups that react with the same functional groups or groups that react with other functional groups. Hydrolyzable functional groups include alkoxy groups. Examples of condensable functional groups include hydroxyl groups, silanol groups, carboxyl groups, and phenolic hydroxyl groups. A hydroxyl group may be contained in a hydroxyl group-containing group such as a hydroxyalkyl group. In addition, the polysiloxane compound having a hydrolyzable functional group or a condensable functional group has a reactive group different from the hydrolyzable functional group and the condensable functional group (hydrolyzable functional group and condensable functional group). It may further have a functional group that does not correspond to a functional group. Reactive groups include epoxy group, mercapto group, glycidoxy group, vinyl group, acryloyl group, methacryloyl group, amino group and the like. The epoxy group may be contained in an epoxy group-containing group such as a glycidoxy group. Polysiloxane compounds having these functional groups and reactive groups may be used alone or in combination of two or more. Among these functional groups and reactive groups, for example, groups that improve the flexibility of the airgel include alkoxy groups, silanol groups, hydroxyalkyl groups, etc. Among these, the alkoxy groups and hydroxyalkyl groups are The compatibility of the sol can be further improved. In addition, from the viewpoint of improving the reactivity of the polysiloxane compound and reducing the thermal conductivity of the airgel, the number of carbon atoms of the alkoxy group and the hydroxyalkyl group can be 1 to 6, but the flexibility of the airgel is further improved. It may be 2 to 4 from the point of view.

Polysiloxane compounds having a hydroxyalkyl group in the molecule include those having a structure represented by the following general formula (A). By using a polysiloxane compound having a structure represented by the following general formula (A), the structures represented by general formulas (1) and (1a) can be introduced into the skeleton of the airgel.

In formula (A), R ^1a represents a hydroxyalkyl group, R ^2a represents an alkylene group, R ^3a and R ^4a each independently represent an alkyl group or an aryl group, and n represents an integer of 1-50. Here, the aryl group includes a phenyl group, a substituted phenyl group, and the like. Substituents for the substituted phenyl group include alkyl groups, vinyl groups, mercapto groups, amino groups, nitro groups, cyano groups and the like. In formula (A), two R ^1a may be the same or different, and two R ^2a may be the same or different. In formula (A), two or more R ^3a may be the same or different, and two or more R ^4a may be the same or different.

By using the wet gel (produced from the sol), which is a condensate of the sol containing the polysiloxane compound having the above structure, it becomes easier to obtain a low thermal conductivity and flexible airgel. From this point of view, R ^1a in formula (A) includes a hydroxyalkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, and examples of the hydroxyalkyl group include a hydroxyethyl group and a hydroxypropyl group. In formula (A), R ^2a includes an alkylene group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, and examples of the alkylene group include an ethylene group and a propylene group. In formula (A), R ^3a and R ^4a each independently include an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, a phenyl group, and the like, and the alkyl group includes a methyl group and the like. In formula (A), n can range from 2 to 30, but may range from 5 to 20.

As the polysiloxane compound having the structure represented by the general formula (A), commercially available products can be used, and compounds such as X-22-160AS, KF-6001, KF-6002, KF-6003 (all , manufactured by Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.), compounds such as XF42-B0970, Fluid OFOH 702-4% (both of which are manufactured by Momentive Performance Materials Japan LLC).

Polysiloxane compounds having an alkoxy group in the molecule include those having a structure represented by the following general formula (B). By using a polysiloxane compound having a structure represented by the following general formula (B), a ladder-type structure having a bridging portion represented by the general formula (2) or (3) is introduced into the airgel skeleton. can do.

In formula (B), R ^1b represents an alkyl group, an alkoxy group or an aryl group, R ^2b and R ^3b each independently represent an alkoxy group, and R ^4b and R ^5b each independently represent an alkyl group or an aryl group. , m represents an integer from 1 to 50. Here, the aryl group includes a phenyl group, a substituted phenyl group, and the like. Substituents for the substituted phenyl group include alkyl groups, vinyl groups, mercapto groups, amino groups, nitro groups, cyano groups and the like. In formula (B), two R ^1b may be the same or different, two R ^2b may be the same or different, and similarly two R ^3b may be the same or different. In formula (B), when m is an integer of 2 or more, two or more R ^4b may be the same or different, and similarly two or more R ^5b may be the same. may also be different.

By using a wet gel (produced from the sol), which is a condensate of the sol containing the polysiloxane compound having the above structure or a hydrolysis product thereof, it becomes easier to obtain a low thermal conductivity and flexible airgel. From such a viewpoint, in formula (B), R ^1b includes an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, an alkoxy group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, and the like, and the alkyl group or alkoxy group is a methyl group. , methoxy group, ethoxy group and the like. In formula (B), R ^2b and R ^3b each independently include an alkoxy group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, and the alkoxy group includes a methoxy group, an ethoxy group, and the like. In formula (B), R ^4b and R ^5b each independently include an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, a phenyl group, and the like, and the alkyl group includes a methyl group and the like. In formula (B), m can range from 2 to 30, but may range from 5 to 20.

The polysiloxane compound having the structure represented by the general formula (B) can be obtained by appropriately referring to the production methods reported in JP-A-2000-26609 and JP-A-2012-233110. .

Further, examples of the polysiloxane compound having an alkoxy group in the molecule include those having a structure represented by the following general formula (C). Heat resistance and mechanical strength can be improved by using a polysiloxane compound having a structure represented by the following general formula (C).

In formula (C), R ^1C represents an alkyl group, an alkoxy group or an aryl group, R ^2C and R ^3C each independently represents an alkoxy group, and x and y represent integers of 1-50. Here, the aryl group includes a phenyl group, a substituted phenyl group, and the like. Substituents for the substituted phenyl group include alkyl groups, vinyl groups, mercapto groups, amino groups, nitro groups, cyano groups and the like. In formula (C), R ^1C may be the same or different, R ^2C may be the same or different, and R ^3C may be the same or different. may be

By using a wet gel (produced from the sol), which is a condensation product of a sol containing a polysiloxane compound having the above structure or a hydrolysis product thereof, a flexible airgel having low thermal conductivity and high mechanical strength can be further obtained. becomes easier. From such a viewpoint, in the formula (C), R ^1C includes an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, an alkoxy group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, and the like, and the alkyl group or alkoxy group is a methyl group. , methoxy group, ethoxy group and the like. In formula (C), R ^2C and R ^3C each independently include an alkoxy group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, and examples of the alkoxy group include a methoxy group, an ethoxy group, and the like. In formula (C), x and y can range from 2 to 30, but may range from 5 to 20.

As the polysiloxane compound having the structure represented by the general formula (C), commercially available products can be used. Chemical Industry Co., Ltd.), SR-2402, AY42-163, US-SG2403 (both manufactured by Dow Corning Toray Co., Ltd.), XC96-B0446, XR31-B1410 (both Momentive Performance Materials Japan LLC (manufactured by Colcoat Co., Ltd.), Ethyl Silicate 28, Ethyl Silicate 40, Methyl Silicate 51, Methyl Silicate 53A (all manufactured by Colcoat Co., Ltd.).

In addition, since the alkoxy group is hydrolyzed, the polysiloxane compound having an alkoxy group may exist as a hydrolysis product in the sol, and the polysiloxane compound having an alkoxy group and its hydrolysis product are mixed. may be Moreover, in the polysiloxane compound having an alkoxy group, all the alkoxy groups in the molecule may be hydrolyzed or partially hydrolyzed.

These polysiloxane compounds having a hydrolyzable functional group or a condensable functional group, and the hydrolysis products of the polysiloxane compounds having a hydrolyzable functional group may be used alone or in combination of two or more. may be used.

In producing the airgel according to the present embodiment, a silicon compound other than the polysiloxane compound described above can be used as the silicon compound having a hydrolyzable functional group or a condensable functional group. That is, the sol containing the silicon compound is composed of a silicon compound having a hydrolyzable functional group or a condensable functional group (excluding a polysiloxane compound), and the silicon compound having a hydrolyzable functional group. At least one selected from the group consisting of hydrolysis products (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "silicon compound group"), in addition to the above-mentioned polysiloxane compound group, or instead of the above-mentioned polysiloxane compound group. be able to. The number of silicon molecules in the silicon compound can be one or two.

Examples of the silicon compound having a hydrolyzable functional group in the molecule include, but are not particularly limited to, alkyl silicon alkoxides. From the viewpoint of improving water resistance, the alkyl silicon alkoxide can have 3 or less hydrolyzable functional groups. Examples of such alkyl silicon alkoxides include monoalkyltrialkoxysilanes, monoalkyldialkoxysilanes, dialkyldialkoxysilanes, monoalkylmonoalkoxysilanes, dialkylmonoalkoxysilanes, and trialkylmonoalkoxysilanes. Examples include methyltrimethoxysilane, methyldimethoxysilane, dimethyldiethoxysilane, dimethyldimethoxysilane, ethyltrimethoxysilane, hexyltrimethoxysilane and the like. Here, examples of the hydrolyzable functional group include alkoxy groups such as a methoxy group and an ethoxy group.

Examples of the silicon compound having a condensable functional group include, but are not limited to, silanetetraol, methylsilanetriol, dimethylsilanediol, phenylsilanetriol, phenylmethylsilanediol, diphenylsilanediol, n-propylsilanetriol, and hexylsilane. triol, octylsilanetriol, decylsilanetriol, trifluoropropylsilanetriol and the like.

A silicon compound having a hydrolyzable functional group or a condensable functional group has the above-mentioned reactive groups (hydrolyzable functional group and condensable functional group) different from the hydrolyzable functional group and condensable functional group. It may further have a functional group that does not correspond to a group).

Silicon compounds having 3 or less hydrolyzable functional groups and having reactive groups include vinyltrimethoxysilane, 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane, 3-glycidoxypropylmethyldimethoxysilane, 3 -methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane, 3-methacryloxypropylmethyldimethoxysilane, 3-acryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane, 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane, 3-mercaptopropylmethyldimethoxysilane, N-phenyl-3-aminopropyl Trimethoxysilane, N-2-(aminoethyl)-3-aminopropylmethyldimethoxysilane and the like can also be used.

Further, as silicon compounds having a condensable functional group and a reactive group, vinylsilanetriol, 3-glycidoxypropylsilanetriol, 3-glycidoxypropylmethylsilanediol, 3-methacryloxypropylsilanetriol, 3-methacryloxypropylmethylsilanediol, 3-acryloxypropylsilanetriol, 3-mercaptopropylsilanetriol, 3-mercaptopropylmethylsilanediol, N-phenyl-3-aminopropylsilanetriol, N-2-(aminoethyl )-3-aminopropylmethylsilanediol and the like can also be used.

Furthermore, bistrimethoxysilylmethane, bistrimethoxysilylethane, bistrimethoxysilylhexane, ethyltrimethoxysilane, vinyltrimethoxysilane, etc., which are silicon compounds having 3 or less hydrolyzable functional groups at the molecular terminals, can also be used. .

A silicon compound having a hydrolyzable functional group or a condensable functional group (excluding polysiloxane compounds), and a hydrolysis product of the silicon compound having a hydrolyzable functional group may be used alone or in combination of two types. A mixture of the above may be used.

By using the above silicon compounds (excluding polysiloxane compounds), structures represented by the following general formulas (4) to (6) can be introduced into the skeleton of the airgel. The airgel according to the present embodiment can have one of these structures, or two or more of them.

In formula ( ⁴ ), R9 represents an alkyl group. Here, the alkyl group includes an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms and the like, and the alkyl group includes a methyl group and the like.

In formula (5), R ¹⁰ and R ¹¹ each independently represent an alkyl group. Here, the alkyl group includes an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms and the like, and the alkyl group includes a methyl group and the like.

In formula (6), R ¹² represents an alkylene group. Here, the alkylene group includes an alkylene group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms and the like, and the alkylene group includes an ethylene group, a hexylene group and the like.

(Fourth mode)
The airgel according to the present embodiment may further contain silica particles in addition to the airgel component from the viewpoint of further toughening and the viewpoint of achieving even better heat insulation and flexibility. An airgel containing an airgel component and silica particles can also be referred to as an airgel composite. The airgel composite has a cluster structure, which is a characteristic of airgel, even though the airgel component and silica particles are composited, and is considered to have a three-dimensionally fine porous structure. .

The airgel containing the airgel component and silica particles is composed of the silicon compound having a hydrolyzable functional group or condensable functional group and the hydrolysis product of the silicon compound having a hydrolyzable functional group. It can be said to be a dried wet gel that is a condensate of a sol containing at least one selected from the group and silica particles. Therefore, the descriptions regarding the first to third aspects can be appropriately applied mutatis mutandis to the airgel according to the present embodiment.

Silica particles can be used without any particular limitation, and include amorphous silica particles and the like. Amorphous silica particles include fused silica particles, fumed silica particles, colloidal silica particles, and the like. Among these, colloidal silica particles have high monodispersity and easily suppress aggregation in the sol. The silica particles may be silica particles having a hollow structure, a porous structure, or the like.

The shape of the silica particles is not particularly limited, and may be spherical, cocoon-shaped, association-shaped, or the like. Among these, by using spherical particles as the silica particles, aggregation in the sol can be easily suppressed. The average primary particle size of the silica particles may be 1 nm or more, and may be 5 nm or more, from the viewpoint of easily imparting appropriate strength and flexibility to the airgel and easily obtaining an airgel having excellent shrinkage resistance during drying. may be 20 nm or more. The average primary particle size of the silica particles may be 500 nm or less, 300 nm or less, or 100 nm from the viewpoint of easily suppressing the solid heat conduction of the silica particles and easily obtaining an airgel having excellent heat insulation properties. It may be below. From these viewpoints, the average primary particle size of silica particles may be 1 to 500 nm, 5 to 300 nm, or 20 to 100 nm.

In the present embodiment, the average particle size of the airgel component and the average primary particle size of the silica particles can be obtained by directly observing the airgel using a scanning electron microscope (hereinafter abbreviated as "SEM"). The "diameter" as used herein means the diameter when the cross section of the particles exposed in the cross section of the airgel is regarded as a circle. Further, "the diameter when the cross section is regarded as a circle" is the diameter of a perfect circle when the area of the cross section is replaced by a perfect circle having the same area. In addition, in calculating the average particle size, the diameters of circles of 100 particles are obtained and the average is taken.

The average particle size of silica particles can also be measured from raw materials. For example, the biaxial average primary particle size is calculated as follows from the result of observing 20 arbitrary particles by SEM. That is, taking colloidal silica particles dispersed in water with a normal solid content concentration of about 5 to 40% by mass as an example, a wafer with pattern wiring was cut into 2 cm squares in a dispersion liquid of colloidal silica particles. After dipping the chip for about 30 seconds, the chip is rinsed with pure water for about 30 seconds and dried by blowing nitrogen. After that, the chip is placed on a sample table for SEM observation, an acceleration voltage of 10 kV is applied, the silica particles are observed at a magnification of 100,000 times, and an image is taken. 20 silica particles are arbitrarily selected from the obtained image, and the average particle size of those particles is taken as the average particle size.

The number of silanol groups per 1 g of silica particles may be 10×10 ¹⁸ /g or more, or may be 50×10 ¹⁸ /g or more, from the viewpoint of easily obtaining an airgel having excellent shrinkage resistance. , 100×10 ¹⁸ pieces/g or more. The number of silanol groups per 1 g of silica particles may be 1000 × 10 ¹⁸ / g or less, 800 × 10 ¹⁸ / g or less, from the viewpoint of easily obtaining a homogeneous airgel. It may be 10 ¹⁸ pieces/g or less. From these viewpoints, the number of silanol groups per gram of silica particles may be 10×10 ¹⁸ to 1000×10 ¹⁸ /g, and may be 50×10 ¹⁸ to 800×10 ¹⁸ /g. , 100×10 ¹⁸ to 700×10 ¹⁸ /g.

Content of polysiloxane compounds contained in the sol (content of polysiloxane compounds having hydrolyzable functional groups or condensable functional groups, and hydrolysis of polysiloxane compounds having hydrolyzable functional groups The total content of the products) may be 5 parts by mass or more, or may be 10 parts by mass or more with respect to 100 parts by mass of the total amount of the sol, from the viewpoint of making it easier to obtain good reactivity. . The content of the polysiloxane compound group contained in the sol may be 50 parts by mass or less, or 30 parts by mass or less with respect to 100 parts by mass of the total amount of the sol, from the viewpoint of making it easier to obtain good compatibility. There may be. From these points of view, the content of the polysiloxane compound group contained in the sol may be 5 to 50 parts by mass or 10 to 30 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the total amount of the sol.

When the sol contains a silicon compound (excluding a polysiloxane compound), the content of the silicon compound group (a silicon compound having a hydrolyzable functional group or a condensable functional group, and the hydrolyzable functional group The total content of hydrolysis products of the silicon compound having) may be 5 parts by mass or more, or 10 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the total amount of the sol, from the viewpoint of making it easier to obtain good reactivity. or more. The content of the silicon compound group contained in the sol may be 50 parts by mass or less, or 30 parts by mass or less with respect to 100 parts by mass of the total amount of the sol, from the viewpoint of making it easier to obtain good compatibility. may From these viewpoints, the content of the silicon compound group contained in the sol may be 5 to 50 parts by mass, or may be 10 to 30 parts by mass.

When the sol contains both the polysiloxane compound group and the silicon compound group, the ratio of the content of the polysiloxane compound group and the content of the silicon compound group is 1:1 from the viewpoint of further facilitating obtaining good compatibility. It may be 0.5 or more, or 1:1 or more. The ratio of the content of the polysiloxane compound group and the content of the silicon compound group may be 1:4 or less, or 1:2 or less, from the viewpoint of further facilitating suppression of gel shrinkage. good. From these points of view, the ratio of the content of the polysiloxane compound group and the content of the silicon compound group may be 1:0.5 to 1:4, or 1:1 to 1:2. good too.

When silica particles are contained in the sol, the content of silica particles makes it easier to impart appropriate strength to the airgel, and from the viewpoint of making it easier to obtain an airgel with excellent shrinkage resistance during drying, the total amount of the sol is 100 parts by mass. On the other hand, it may be 1 part by mass or more, or may be 4 parts by mass or more. The content of the silica particles is 20 parts by mass or less with respect to 100 parts by mass of the total amount of the sol, from the viewpoint of easily suppressing the solid heat conduction of the silica particles and easily obtaining an airgel with excellent heat insulation. It may be 15 parts by mass or less. From these points of view, the content of silica particles may be 1 to 20 parts by mass, or 4 to 15 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the total amount of the sol.

<Airgel particles>
The airgel particles in this embodiment can be obtained by pulverizing bulk airgel as described later.

The airgel particles have a specific surface area of 350 m ² /g or less. Thereby, a dispersion liquid in which the airgel particles are suitably dispersed can be prepared. Therefore, airgel particles having a specific surface area of 350 m ² /g or less can also be called airgel particles for dispersion liquid preparation. From this viewpoint, the specific surface area may be 300 m ² /g or less, 250 m ² /g or less, or 150 m ² /g or less. Although the lower limit of the specific surface area of the airgel particles is not particularly limited, it can be about 30 m ² /g from the viewpoint of suppressing aggregation in the dispersion and improving the filling rate. Various methods for adjusting the specific surface area of the airgel particles can be considered, for example, adjusting the amount of the airgel component having the bridging structure represented by the general formula (2), adjusting the amount of silica particles. etc.

A specific surface area can be measured by the BET method. As a measuring device, a gas adsorption amount measuring device (Autosorb-iQ (Autosorb is a registered trademark) manufactured by Quantachrome Instruments Japan LLC) can be used.

The average particle diameter D50 of the airgel particles can be 1 to 1000 μm, but may be 3 to 700 μm, may be 5 to 500 μm, may be 10 to 100 μm, and may be 10 to 50 μm. may When the average particle diameter D50 of the airgel particles is 1 μm or more, airgel particles having excellent dispersibility, handleability and the like can be easily obtained. On the other hand, when the average particle diameter D50 is 1000 μm or less, it becomes easier to obtain airgel particles with excellent dispersibility. The average particle size of the airgel particles can be appropriately adjusted by the pulverization method and pulverization conditions, sieving, classification method, and the like.

The average particle diameter D50 of airgel particles can be measured by a laser diffraction/scattering method. For example, airgel particles are dispersed by adding them to a solvent (ethanol) so that the content of the airgel particles is 0.05 to 5% by mass, and vibrating for 15 to 30 minutes with a 50W ultrasonic homogenizer. After that, about 10 mL of the dispersion liquid is injected into a laser diffraction/scattering particle size distribution analyzer, and the particle size is measured at 25° C. with a refractive index of 1.3 and an absorption of 0. The average particle size D50 is defined as the particle size at 50% (volume basis) of the integrated value in this particle size distribution. As a measuring device, for example, Microtrac MT3000 (manufactured by Nikkiso Co., Ltd., product name) can be used.

<Method for producing airgel particles>
The method for producing airgel particles is not particularly limited, but for example, it can be produced by the following method.

The airgel particles of the present embodiment include a sol generation step, a wet gel generation step in which the sol obtained in the sol generation step is gelled and then aged to obtain a wet gel, and a wet gel obtained in the wet gel generation step. A manufacturing method mainly comprising a washing and solvent substitution step of washing and (if necessary) solvent substitution, a drying step of drying the wet gel after washing and solvent substitution, and a pulverization step of pulverizing the airgel obtained by drying can be manufactured.

Manufactured by a manufacturing method mainly comprising a sol-generating step, a wet-gel-generating step, a wet-gel pulverizing step of pulverizing the wet gel obtained in the wet-gel-generating step, a washing and solvent replacement step, and a drying step. You may

The resulting airgel particles can be further sized by sieving, classification, or the like. Dispersibility can be improved by adjusting the size of the particles. The term "sol" refers to a state before a gelation reaction occurs, and in the present embodiment, it means a state in which the silicon compound and optionally silica particles are dissolved or dispersed in a solvent. . A wet gel means a gel solid in a wet state that does not have fluidity even though it contains a liquid medium.

(Sol generation step)
The sol-producing step is a step of mixing a silicon compound and optionally silica particles (which may be a solvent containing silica particles), hydrolyzing the mixture, and then producing a sol. In this step, an acid catalyst may be further added to the solvent in order to promote the hydrolysis reaction. Further, as disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 5250900, a surfactant, a thermally hydrolyzable compound, etc. can be added to the solvent. Furthermore, for the purpose of suppressing heat ray radiation, components such as carbon graphite, an aluminum compound, a magnesium compound, a silver compound, and a titanium compound may be added to the solvent.

As the solvent, for example, water or a mixture of water and alcohol can be used. Alcohols include methanol, ethanol, n-propanol, 2-propanol, n-butanol, 2-butanol, t-butanol and the like. Among these alcohols, methanol, ethanol, 2-propanol, and the like are listed as alcohols having a low surface tension and a low boiling point in terms of reducing the interfacial tension with the gel wall. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

For example, when alcohol is used as a solvent, the amount of alcohol can be 4 to 8 mol with respect to 1 mol of the total amount of the silicon compound group and the polysiloxane compound group, but it may be 4 to 6.5, Or it may be 4.5 to 6 mol. When the amount of alcohol is 4 mol or more, it becomes easier to obtain good compatibility, and when it is 8 mol or less, it becomes easier to suppress gel shrinkage.

Acid catalysts include inorganic acids such as hydrofluoric acid, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, sulfuric acid, sulfurous acid, phosphoric acid, phosphorous acid, hypophosphorous acid, bromic acid, chloric acid, chlorous acid, and hypochlorous acid; Acidic phosphates such as aluminum, acidic magnesium phosphate, and acidic zinc phosphate; Organic carboxylic acids such as acetic acid, formic acid, propionic acid, oxalic acid, malonic acid, succinic acid, citric acid, malic acid, adipic acid, and azelaic acid etc. Among these, an organic carboxylic acid can be mentioned as an acid catalyst that further improves the water resistance of the resulting airgel. The organic carboxylic acid includes acetic acid, but may also be formic acid, propionic acid, oxalic acid, malonic acid, or the like. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

By using an acid catalyst, the hydrolysis reaction of the silicon compound can be accelerated and the sol can be obtained in a shorter time.

The amount of the acid catalyst to be added can be 0.001 to 0.1 part by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass as the total amount of the polysiloxane compound group and the silicon compound group.

As surfactants, nonionic surfactants, ionic surfactants, and the like can be used. These may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

As the nonionic surfactant, for example, a compound containing a hydrophilic portion such as polyoxyethylene and a hydrophobic portion mainly composed of an alkyl group, a compound containing a hydrophilic portion such as polyoxypropylene, and the like can be used. Compounds containing a hydrophilic portion such as polyoxyethylene and a hydrophobic portion mainly composed of alkyl groups include polyoxyethylene nonylphenyl ether, polyoxyethylene octylphenyl ether, polyoxyethylene alkyl ether and the like. Compounds containing hydrophilic moieties such as polyoxypropylene include polyoxypropylene alkyl ethers, block copolymers of polyoxyethylene and polyoxypropylene, and the like.

Examples of ionic surfactants include cationic surfactants, anionic surfactants, and amphoteric surfactants. Examples of cationic surfactants include cetyltrimethylammonium bromide and cetyltrimethylammonium chloride, and examples of anionic surfactants include sodium dodecylsulfonate. Amphoteric surfactants include amino acid-based surfactants, betaine-based surfactants, amine oxide-based surfactants, and the like. Examples of amino acid-based surfactants include acylglutamic acid and the like. Examples of betaine surfactants include betaine lauryldimethylaminoacetate and betaine stearyldimethylaminoacetate. Amine oxide surfactants include, for example, lauryldimethylamine oxide.

These surfactants act to reduce the difference in chemical affinity between the solvent in the reaction system and the growing siloxane polymer in the wet gel formation step described later, thereby suppressing phase separation. It is believed that

The amount of the surfactant added depends on the type of surfactant or the type and amount of the silicon compound, but for example, 1 to 100 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the total amount of the polysiloxane compound group and the silicon compound group. can be The amount of addition may be 5 to 60 parts by mass.

It is believed that the thermally hydrolyzable compound generates a base catalyst by thermal hydrolysis, makes the reaction solution basic, and promotes the sol-gel reaction in the wet gel formation step described later. Therefore, the thermohydrolyzable compound is not particularly limited as long as it is a compound capable of making the reaction solution basic after hydrolysis. Urea; formamide, N-methylformamide, N,N-dimethylformamide, acetamide, N acid amides such as -methylacetamide and N,N-dimethylacetamide; and cyclic nitrogen compounds such as hexamethylenetetramine. Among these, urea is particularly easy to obtain the above promotion effect.

The amount of the thermally hydrolyzable compound to be added is not particularly limited as long as it is an amount capable of sufficiently promoting the sol-gel reaction in the wet gel forming step described below. For example, when urea is used as the thermohydrolyzable compound, the amount added can be 1 to 200 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass as the total amount of the polysiloxane compound group and the silicon compound group. The addition amount may be 2 to 150 parts by mass. An addition amount of 1 part by mass or more makes it easier to obtain good reactivity, and an addition amount of 200 parts by mass or less makes it easier to suppress crystal precipitation and a decrease in gel density.

Hydrolysis in the sol generation step depends on the types and amounts of silicon compounds, silica particles, acid catalysts, surfactants, etc. in the mixed liquid, but for example, it takes 10 minutes to 24 minutes in a temperature environment of 20 to 60 ° C. It may be carried out for 5 minutes to 8 hours in a temperature environment of 50 to 60°C. As a result, the hydrolyzable functional groups in the silicon compound are sufficiently hydrolyzed, and the hydrolysis product of the silicon compound can be obtained more reliably.

However, when the thermally hydrolyzable compound is added to the solvent, the temperature environment in the sol formation step may be adjusted to a temperature that suppresses hydrolysis of the thermally hydrolyzable compound and gelation of the sol. . The temperature at this time may be any temperature as long as it can suppress the hydrolysis of the thermally hydrolyzable compound. For example, when urea is used as the thermally hydrolyzable compound, the temperature environment in the sol formation step can be 0 to 40°C, but may be 10 to 30°C.

(Wet gel generation step)
The wet gel forming step is a step of gelling the sol obtained in the sol forming step and then aging it to obtain a wet gel. In this step, a base catalyst can be used to promote gelation.

Base catalysts include carbonates such as calcium carbonate, potassium carbonate, sodium carbonate, barium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, lithium carbonate, ammonium carbonate, copper (II) carbonate, iron (II) carbonate, and silver carbonate (I); Hydrogen carbonates such as calcium, potassium hydrogen carbonate, sodium hydrogen carbonate and ammonium hydrogen carbonate; alkali metal hydroxides such as lithium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide and cesium hydroxide; ammonium hydroxide, ammonium fluoride, Ammonium compounds such as ammonium chloride and ammonium bromide; basic sodium phosphate salts such as sodium metaphosphate, sodium pyrophosphate and sodium polyphosphate; allylamine, diallylamine, triallylamine, isopropylamine, diisopropylamine, ethylamine, diethylamine, triethylamine, 2 -ethylhexylamine, 3-ethoxypropylamine, diisobutylamine, 3-(diethylamino)propylamine, di-2-ethylhexylamine, 3-(dibutylamino)propylamine, tetramethylethylenediamine, t-butylamine, sec-butylamine, propyl Aliphatic amines such as amine, 3-(methylamino)propylamine, 3-(dimethylamino)propylamine, 3-methoxyamine, dimethylethanolamine, methyldiethanolamine, diethanolamine, triethanolamine; morpholine, N-methylmorpholine , 2-methylmorpholine, piperazine and its derivatives, piperidine and its derivatives, imidazole and its derivatives, and other nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds. Among these, ammonium hydroxide (aqueous ammonia) is highly volatile and does not easily remain in airgel particles after drying, so it is less likely to impair water resistance and is excellent in terms of economy. The above basic catalysts may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

By using a basic catalyst, the dehydration-condensation reaction or dealcoholization-condensation reaction of the silicon compound and silica particles in the sol can be promoted, and the sol can be gelled in a shorter time. In addition, this makes it possible to obtain a wet gel with higher strength (rigidity). In particular, since ammonia is highly volatile and hardly remains in the airgel particles, airgel particles with more excellent water resistance can be obtained by using ammonia as the basic catalyst.

The amount of the base catalyst to be added may be 0.5 to 5 parts by mass, but may be 1 to 4 parts by mass, per 100 parts by mass of the total amount of the polysiloxane compound group and the silicon compound group. When the amount is 0.5 parts by mass or more, gelation can be performed in a shorter time, and when the amount is 5 parts by mass or less, deterioration of water resistance can be further suppressed.

Gelation of the sol in the wet gel formation step may be performed in a sealed container so that the solvent and base catalyst do not volatilize. The gelation temperature can be 30-90°C, but may be 40-80°C. By setting the gelation temperature to 30° C. or higher, gelation can be performed in a shorter time, and a wet gel with higher strength (rigidity) can be obtained. In addition, by setting the gelation temperature to 90° C. or lower, volatilization of the solvent (especially alcohol) can be easily suppressed, so that gelation can be performed while suppressing volume shrinkage.

Aging in the wet gel formation step may be performed in a closed container so that the solvent and basic catalyst do not volatilize. Aging strengthens the bonding of the components constituting the wet gel, and as a result, a wet gel having sufficient strength (rigidity) to suppress shrinkage during drying can be obtained. The aging temperature can be 30-90°C, but may be 40-80°C. By setting the aging temperature to 30°C or higher, a wet gel with higher strength (rigidity) can be obtained, and by setting the aging temperature to 90°C or lower, volatilization of the solvent (especially alcohol) can be easily suppressed. , it is possible to gel while suppressing volumetric shrinkage.

Since it is often difficult to determine the end point of gelation of the sol, the gelation of the sol and the subsequent aging may be performed in a continuous series of operations.

The gelation time and aging time can be appropriately set depending on the gelation temperature and aging temperature. When silica particles are contained in the sol, the gelation time can be particularly shortened compared to when the sol is not contained. The reason for this is presumed to be that the silanol groups or reactive groups of the silicon compound in the sol form hydrogen bonds or chemical bonds with the silanol groups of the silica particles. The gelling time can be 10 to 120 minutes, but may be 20 to 90 minutes. A gelation time of 10 minutes or more makes it easier to obtain a homogeneous wet gel, and a gelation time of 120 minutes or less makes it possible to simplify the washing and solvent replacement steps and the drying steps, which will be described later. In addition, the total time of the gelling and aging steps can be 4 to 480 hours, but may be 6 to 120 hours. A wet gel with higher strength (rigidity) can be obtained by setting the total time of gelling time and aging time to 4 hours or more, and the effect of aging can be more easily maintained by setting the total time to 480 hours or less.

In order to reduce the density of the resulting airgel particles and increase the average pore size, the gelation temperature and aging temperature are increased within the above range, and the total time of gelation time and aging time is increased within the above range. good too. In addition, in order to increase the density of the obtained airgel particles and reduce the average pore diameter, the gelation temperature and aging temperature are lowered within the above range, or the total time of gelation time and aging time is within the above range. You can shorten it.

(Wet gel pulverization step)
When performing the wet gel pulverization step, the wet gel obtained in the wet gel production step is pulverized. Pulverization can be carried out, for example, by putting the wet gel in a Henshall type mixer, or performing a wet gel forming step in the mixer and operating the mixer under appropriate conditions (rotation speed and time). Alternatively, more simply, the wet gel is placed in a sealable container, or the wet gel formation step is performed in a sealable container and shaken for an appropriate amount of time using a shaking device such as a shaker. can be done. If necessary, the particle size of the wet gel can be adjusted using a jet mill, roller mill, bead mill, or the like.

(Washing and solvent replacement step)
The washing and solvent replacement step includes a step of washing the wet gel obtained by the wet gel generation step or the wet gel pulverization step (washing step), and washing the washing liquid in the wet gel with a solvent suitable for drying conditions (drying step described later). (solvent replacement step). The washing and solvent replacement step can be performed in a form in which only the solvent replacement step is performed without performing the step of washing the wet gel. The wet gel may be washed from the viewpoint of enabling production of airgel particles with high purity.

In the washing step, the wet gel obtained in the wet gel production step or the wet gel crushing step is washed. The washing can be repeated using, for example, water or an organic solvent. At this time, the cleaning efficiency can be improved by heating.

Organic solvents include methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, 2-propanol, 1-butanol, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, 1,2-dimethoxyethane, acetonitrile, hexane, toluene, diethyl ether, chloroform, ethyl acetate, tetrahydrofuran, and methylene chloride. , N,N-dimethylformamide, dimethylsulfoxide, acetic acid, formic acid and the like can be used. The above organic solvents may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

In the solvent replacement step, which will be described later, a low surface tension solvent can be used in order to suppress shrinkage of the gel due to drying. However, low surface tension solvents generally have very low mutual solubility with water. Therefore, when a low surface tension solvent is used in the solvent replacement step, the organic solvent used in the washing step includes a hydrophilic organic solvent having high mutual solubility in both water and the low surface tension solvent. It should be noted that the hydrophilic organic solvent used in the washing step can serve as preliminary replacement for the solvent replacement step. Among the above organic solvents, hydrophilic organic solvents include methanol, ethanol, 2-propanol, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone and the like. In addition, methanol, ethanol, methyl ethyl ketone, etc. are excellent in terms of economy.

The amount of water or organic solvent used in the washing step can be an amount that can sufficiently replace the solvent in the wet gel and wash. The amount can be 3 to 10 times the volume of the wet gel. Washing can be repeated until the water content in the wet gel after washing is 10% by mass or less relative to the mass of silica.

The temperature environment in the washing step can be a temperature below the boiling point of the solvent used for washing.

In the solvent replacement step, the solvent of the washed wet gel is replaced with a predetermined replacement solvent in order to suppress the shrinkage of the airgel in the drying step. At this time, the replacement efficiency can be improved by heating. Specific examples of the replacement solvent include low surface tension solvents described below when drying is performed under atmospheric pressure at a temperature below the critical point of the solvent used for drying in the drying step. On the other hand, in the case of supercritical drying, the replacement solvent includes, for example, ethanol, methanol, 2-propanol, dichlorodifluoromethane, carbon dioxide, or a mixture of two or more thereof.

Solvents with low surface tension include solvents with a surface tension of 30 mN/m or less at 20°C. The surface tension may be 25 mN/m or less, or 20 mN/m or less. Examples of low surface tension solvents include pentane (15.5), hexane (18.4), heptane (20.2), octane (21.7), 2-methylpentane (17.4), 3- Aliphatic hydrocarbons such as methylpentane (18.1), 2-methylhexane (19.3), cyclopentane (22.6), cyclohexane (25.2), 1-pentene (16.0); benzene (28.9), toluene (28.5), m-xylene (28.7), p-xylene (28.3) and other aromatic hydrocarbons; dichloromethane (27.9), chloroform (27.2) ), carbon tetrachloride (26.9), 1-chloropropane (21.8), 2-chloropropane (18.1) and other halogenated hydrocarbons; ethyl ether (17.1), propyl ether (20.5 ), isopropyl ether (17.7), butyl ethyl ether (20.8), 1,2-dimethoxyethane (24.6) and other ethers; acetone (23.3), methyl ethyl ketone (24.6), methyl Ketones such as propyl ketone (25.1) and diethyl ketone (25.3); methyl acetate (24.8), ethyl acetate (23.8), propyl acetate (24.3), isopropyl acetate (21.2) ), isobutyl acetate (23.7), ethyl butyrate (24.6), and the like (surface tension at 20° C. is shown in parentheses, and the unit is [mN/m]). Among these, aliphatic hydrocarbons (hexane, heptane, etc.) have low surface tension and are excellent in working environment. Among these, hydrophilic organic solvents such as acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, and 1,2-dimethoxyethane can be used as organic solvents in the washing step. In addition, among these, a solvent having a boiling point of 100° C. or lower under normal pressure may be used in view of facilitating drying in the drying step to be described later. The above solvents may be used alone or in combination of two or more.

The amount of solvent used in the solvent replacement step can be an amount sufficient to replace the solvent in the wet gel after washing. The amount can be 3 to 10 times the volume of the wet gel.

The temperature environment in the solvent replacement step can be a temperature below the boiling point of the solvent used for replacement.

In addition, when silica particles are contained in the gel, the solvent replacement step is not essential. The presumed mechanism is as follows. That is, the silica particles function as a support for the three-dimensional network skeleton, thereby supporting the skeleton and suppressing shrinkage of the gel during the drying process. Therefore, it is considered that the gel can be directly subjected to the drying process without replacing the solvent used for washing. Thus, by using silica particles, it is possible to simplify the washing and solvent replacement steps and the drying step.

(Drying process)
In the drying step, the wet gel that has been washed and (if necessary) solvent-substituted as described above is dried. Thereby, an airgel (airgel block or airgel particle) can be obtained. That is, an airgel can be obtained by drying the wet gel produced from the sol.

The method of drying is not particularly limited, and known normal pressure drying, supercritical drying or freeze drying can be used. Among these, normal pressure drying or supercritical drying can be used from the viewpoint of easy production of low-density airgel. Moreover, normal pressure drying can be used from the viewpoint of low-cost production. In addition, in this embodiment, normal pressure means 0.1 MPa (atmospheric pressure).

Aerogels can be obtained by drying the washed and (optionally) solvent-exchanged wet gel under atmospheric pressure at a temperature below the critical point of the solvent used for drying. The drying temperature depends on the type of solvent replaced (or the solvent used for washing if solvent replacement is not performed), especially if drying at high temperature accelerates the evaporation rate of the solvent and causes large cracks in the gel. In view of the fact that there is a Incidentally, the drying temperature may be 60 to 120°C. Also, the drying time varies depending on the volume of the wet gel and the drying temperature, but can be 4 to 120 hours. It should be noted that normal pressure drying also includes speeding up drying by applying a pressure below the critical point within a range that does not impede productivity.

Aerogels can also be obtained by supercritical drying of washed and (optionally) solvent-exchanged wet gels. Supercritical drying can be performed by a known method. Examples of the supercritical drying method include a method of removing the solvent at a temperature and pressure above the critical point of the solvent contained in the wet gel. Alternatively, as a method of supercritical drying, the wet gel is immersed in liquefied carbon dioxide under conditions of, for example, 20 to 25 ° C. and 5 to 20 MPa, so that all or part of the solvent contained in the wet gel is is replaced with carbon dioxide having a lower critical point than the solvent, and then carbon dioxide alone or a mixture of carbon dioxide and the solvent is removed.

The airgel obtained by such normal pressure drying or supercritical drying may be additionally dried at 105 to 200° C. for about 0.5 to 2 hours under normal pressure. This makes it easier to obtain aerogels with low densities and small pores. Additional drying may be performed at 150 to 200° C. under normal pressure.

(Pulverization process)
When the wet gel pulverization step is not performed, airgel particles are obtained by pulverizing the airgel (airgel block) obtained by drying. For example, it can be carried out by putting the airgel in a jet mill, roller mill, bead mill, hammer mill or the like and operating it at an appropriate rotation speed and time.

<Dispersion>
The dispersion contains airgel particles having a specific surface area of 350 m ² /g or less and a dispersion medium. It can also be said that the dispersion liquid is obtained by dispersing the above airgel particles in a dispersion medium. Airgel particles in the dispersion may have pores filled with a dispersion medium.

An organic solvent is mentioned as a dispersion medium. The organic solvent is not particularly limited as long as it can disperse the airgel particles. Examples include aromatic hydrocarbons such as toluene, xylene, mesitylene, cumene and p-cymene; Group hydrocarbons; ethers such as diethyl ether, tetrahydrofuran, 1,4-dioxane; alcohols such as methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, butanol, ethylene glycol, propylene glycol; acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, cyclohexanone, 4- ketones such as hydroxy-4-methyl-2-pentanone; esters such as methyl acetate, ethyl acetate and butyl acetate; amides such as N,N-dimethylformamide, N,N-dimethylacetamide and N-methylpyrrolidone; is mentioned. Among these, alcohols and ketones can be used from the viewpoint of volatility, boiling point, etc., and alcohols can be particularly preferably used. Since alcohols and ketones are easily mixed with water, water-based resins, etc., they are also suitable when used in combination with these components.

The content of airgel particles in the dispersion can be 0.1 to 30% by mass from the viewpoint of dispersibility, the amount of airgel particles filled, the viscosity of the dispersion, etc., but it is 1 to 25% by mass. may

Such a dispersion can also be called a coating liquid. By applying a coating liquid containing airgel particles and a dispersion medium to an object and then volatilizing and removing the dispersion medium, a coating film containing airgel particles can be formed on the object. When preparing the coating liquid, a binder component, a fibrous component, and the like can be further added from the viewpoint of improving the film-forming properties and heat-insulating properties of the coating film.

The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the following examples, but these examples are not intended to limit the invention.

(Example 1)
100.0 parts by mass of PL-2L (manufactured by Fuso Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., product name) as a silica particle-containing raw material, 80.0 parts by mass of water, 0.5 parts by mass of acetic acid as an acid catalyst, cationic surfactant 1.0 parts by mass of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (manufactured by Wako Pure Chemical Industries, Ltd.) and 150.0 parts by mass of urea as a thermally hydrolyzable compound are mixed, and methyltrimethoxysilane (Shin-Etsu Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., product name: KBM-13) 60.0 parts by mass, 20.0 parts by mass of dimethyldimethoxysilane (Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd., product name: KBM-22), the above general formula (B 20.0 parts by mass of a bifunctional alkoxy-modified polysiloxane compound (hereinafter referred to as "polysiloxane compound A") having a structure represented by ) was added and reacted at 25°C for 2 hours to obtain a sol. The resulting sol was gelled at 60°C and then aged at 60°C for 48 hours to obtain a wet gel 1.

The "polysiloxane compound A" was synthesized as follows. First, in a 1-liter three-necked flask equipped with a stirrer, a thermometer and a Dimroth condenser, dimethylpolysiloxane XC96-723 having silanol groups at both ends (manufactured by Momentive Performance Materials Japan G.K., product name), 181.3 parts by mass of methyltrimethoxysilane and 0.50 parts by mass of t-butylamine were mixed and reacted at 30° C. for 5 hours. Thereafter, this reaction solution was heated at 140° C. for 2 hours under a reduced pressure of 1.3 kPa to remove volatile matter, thereby obtaining a polysiloxane compound modified with bifunctional alkoxy at both ends (polysiloxane compound A).

After that, the resulting wet gel 1 was transferred to a plastic bottle, sealed, and pulverized at 27,000 rpm for 10 minutes using an extreme mill (MX-1000XTS, manufactured by AS ONE Co., Ltd.) to obtain a particulate wet gel. rice field. The obtained particulate wet gel was immersed in 2500.0 parts by mass of methanol and washed at 25° C. for 24 hours. This washing operation was repeated three times in total while exchanging with fresh methanol. Next, the washed particulate wet gel was immersed in 2500.0 parts by mass of heptane, which is a low surface tension solvent, and the solvent was replaced at 25° C. for 24 hours. This solvent replacement operation was performed a total of three times while replacing with fresh heptane. The washed and solvent-exchanged particulate wet gel was dried under normal pressure at 40° C. for 96 hours and then further dried at 150° C. for 2 hours. Finally, it was passed through a sieve (manufactured by Tokyo Screen Co., Ltd., mesh size 45 μm, wire diameter 32 μm) to obtain airgel particles 1 having the structures represented by the general formulas (3), (4) and (5). In addition, the average particle diameter D50 of the airgel particles 1 was 24.3 μm. The measurement method is as follows.

A dispersion liquid was prepared by adding to ethanol so that the content of the airgel particles was 0.5% by mass, and vibrating this for 20 minutes with a 50 W ultrasonic homogenizer. 10 mL of the resulting dispersion was injected into Microtrac MT3000 (manufactured by Nikkiso Co., Ltd., product name), and the particle size was measured at 25° C. with a refractive index of 1.3 and an absorption of 0. Then, the particle diameter at 50% (volume basis) of the integrated value in the obtained particle diameter distribution was defined as the average particle diameter D50.

(Example 2)
100.0 parts by mass of PL-2L, 60.0 parts by mass of water, 0.10 parts by mass of acetic acid, 20.0 parts by mass of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, 60.0 parts by mass of methyltrimethoxysilane, dimethyl 20.0 parts by mass of dimethoxysilane and 20.0 parts by mass of polysiloxane compound A were added and reacted at 25° C. for 2 hours to obtain a sol. To the obtained sol, 40.0 parts by mass of a 5% sodium carbonate aqueous solution was added as a basic catalyst, gelled at 60°C, and then aged at 80°C for 24 hours to obtain a wet gel 2. Thereafter, using the obtained wet gel 2, airgel particles 2 having structures represented by the above general formulas (3), (4) and (5) were obtained in the same manner as in Example 1. The average particle diameter D50 of the airgel particles 2 was 14.2 μm.

( Reference example 3)
30.0 parts by mass of XR31-B1410 (manufactured by Momentive Performance Materials Japan LLC), which is a polysiloxane compound, 15.0 parts by mass of dimethyldimethoxysilane, 100.0 parts by mass of 2-propanol, water 20.0 parts by mass and 0.05 parts by mass of acetic acid were added and reacted at 25° C. for 4 hours to obtain a sol. To the obtained sol, 40.0 parts by mass of a 5% concentration ammonium carbonate aqueous solution was added as a basic catalyst, gelled at 60°C, and then aged at 60°C for 72 hours to obtain a wet gel 3. Thereafter, using the obtained wet gel 3, airgel particles 3 having at least the structures represented by the general formulas (4) and (5) were obtained in the same manner as in Example 1. The average particle diameter D50 of the airgel particles 3 was 19.7 µm.

(Comparative example 1)
Water glass (manufactured by Fuji Chemical Co., Ltd.: SiO ₂ ; 8.0 wt%, 2Na ₂ O.3SiO ₂ .mH ₂ O) 10 parts by mass, H-type ion exchange resin (Sumika Chemtex Co., Ltd., Duolite C20) 20 mass was added and stirred until the pH of the liquid reached 1.5. Next, after filtering off the ion exchange resin, 400 parts by mass of aqueous ammonia (manufactured by Kanto Kagaku Co., Ltd., special grade, 1 mol/L) was added to adjust the pH to 4.0. This was gelled at room temperature for 20 minutes and then aged at 50°C for 24 hours to obtain a wet gel.

The obtained wet gel was immersed in 2500.0 parts by mass of ethanol and washed at 50° C. for 24 hours. This washing operation was repeated three times in total while exchanging with fresh methanol. Next, the washed wet gel was immersed in 2500.0 parts by mass of normal hexane, which is a low surface tension solvent, and the solvent was replaced at 50° C. for 24 hours. This solvent replacement operation was performed three times in total while replacing with new normal hexane. After that, 0.05 part by mass of trimethylchlorosilane per 1 part by mass of the wet gel was added to the hexane solution, and the wet gel was hydrophobized at 50° C. for 24 hours. After that, the wet gel was again immersed in 2500.0 parts by mass of normal hexane, and the solvent was replaced at 50° C. for 24 hours. The wet gel subjected to solvent replacement was transferred to a plastic bottle, sealed, and pulverized at 27,000 rpm for 10 minutes using an extreme mill (manufactured by AS ONE Corporation, MX-1000XTS) to obtain a particulate wet gel. .

The obtained particulate wet gel was dried under normal pressure at 40° C. for 96 hours, and then further dried at 150° C. for 2 hours. Finally, it was passed through a sieve (manufactured by Tokyo Screen Co., Ltd., mesh size: 45 μm, wire diameter: 32 μm) to obtain airgel particles 4 . The average particle diameter D50 of the airgel particles 4 was 21.5 μm.

(Comparative example 2)
A solution of No. 3 sodium silicate was diluted to adjust the concentration to SiO ₂ : 80 g/L and Na ₂ O: 27 g/L. This diluted sodium silicate solution was passed through a strongly acidic cation exchange resin IR120B (manufactured by Rohm and Haas, product name) to obtain 100 parts by mass of silica sol. The pH of this silica sol was 2.8.

The pH of the silica sol was adjusted to 5.5 by dropping 0.1% aqueous ammonia while stirring the silica sol. The silica sol gelled after a few minutes. The container containing the gel was kept at 50° C. for 12 hours for aging to obtain a wet gel. After that, the obtained wet gel was immersed in 2500.0 parts by mass of ethanol and washed at 50° C. for 24 hours. This washing operation was repeated three times in total while exchanging with fresh methanol. Next, the washed wet gel was immersed in 2500.0 parts by mass of normal hexane, which is a low surface tension solvent, and the solvent was replaced at 50° C. for 24 hours. This solvent replacement operation was performed three times in total while replacing with new normal hexane. Thereafter, 0.12 parts by mass of dimethyldichlorosilane per 1 part by mass of the wet gel was added to the hexane solution, and the wet gel was hydrophobized at 50° C. for 24 hours. After that, the wet gel was again immersed in 2500.0 parts by mass of normal hexane, and the solvent was replaced at 50° C. for 24 hours. The wet gel subjected to solvent replacement was transferred to a plastic bottle, sealed, and pulverized at 27,000 rpm for 10 minutes using an extreme mill (manufactured by AS ONE Corporation, MX-1000XTS) to obtain a particulate wet gel. . The obtained particulate wet gel was dried under normal pressure at 40° C. for 96 hours, and then further dried at 150° C. for 2 hours. Finally, airgel particles 5 were obtained by sieving (manufactured by Tokyo Screen Co., Ltd., mesh size: 45 μm, wire diameter: 32 μm). The average particle diameter D50 of the airgel particles 5 was 17.3 μm.

(Comparative Example 3)
As the airgel particles 6, JIOS AeroVa (registered trademark, manufactured by JIOS AEROGEL CORPORATION, product name) was prepared. The average particle diameter D50 of the airgel particles 6 was 8.7 μm.

The following measurements and evaluations were performed on the airgel particles obtained in Examples and Comparative Examples. Table 1 shows the evaluation results.

(Specific surface area measurement)
The BET specific surface area of the airgel particles was measured using a gas adsorption measuring device (Autosorb-iQ (Autosorb is a registered trademark) manufactured by Quantachrome Instruments Japan LLC).

(Dispersibility evaluation)
4 g of 2-propanol as a dispersion medium was placed in a 9 mL screw tube, 1 g of airgel particles was added thereto, and the mixture was stirred for 30 seconds using a vortex mixer to prepare a dispersion. The dispersion liquid after stirring was visually observed to evaluate the dispersibility of the airgel particles. A case in which the airgel particles were well dispersed and the dispersion liquid had fluidity was rated A, and a case in which the airgel particles aggregated without being dispersed and the dispersion liquid had no fluidity was rated B.

(other evaluation)
A coating liquid was prepared using the airgel particles of Example 1, and the film forming properties, adhesion properties, and heat insulating properties of the resulting coating film were evaluated. First, 10 g of airgel particles, 1 g of chopped strand glass CS 3DE-256 (manufactured by Nitto Boseki Co., Ltd., product name), and 1 g of carboxymethylcellulose ammonium (manufactured by Wako Pure Chemical Industries, product name) are added to 50 g of isopropyl alcohol, and the three-one motor is added. and stirred at 300 rpm for 10 minutes. Subsequently, 50 g of water was added and stirred at 300 rpm for 10 minutes to prepare a coating liquid. This coating liquid was applied onto a 12 μm aluminum foil using a metal spatula so as to have a thickness of 1 mm, and dried at 120° C. for 1 hour to obtain a coating film.

The coating film obtained had a good appearance without cracks. In addition, even when the aluminum foil used as the base material was placed vertically, no peeling of the coating film was observed. Furthermore, when the heat insulating property of the coating film was evaluated by a steady-state method, the thermal conductivity was sufficiently low (0.035 W/m·K).

Claims (5)

Airgel particles having a specific surface area of 350 m ² /g or less and an organic solvent ,
The airgel particles are at least one selected from the group consisting of a silicon compound having a hydrolyzable functional group or a condensable functional group, and a hydrolysis product of a silicon compound having a hydrolyzable functional group, A dry product of a wet gel that is a condensation product of a sol containing silica particles,
The silicon compound having a hydrolyzable functional group or a condensable functional group includes an alkyl silicon alkoxide and a polysiloxane compound,
A dispersion liquid in which the airgel particles have a ladder-type structure comprising a strut portion and a bridging portion, and the bridging portion has a structure represented by the following general formula (2) .

(In formula (2), R ⁵ and R ⁶ each independently represent an alkyl group or an aryl group, and b represents an integer of 1 to 50.) 2. The dispersion according to claim 1, wherein the ladder-type structure has a structure represented by the following general formula (3).

(In formula (3), R ⁵ , R ⁶ , R ⁷ and R ⁸ each independently represents an alkyl group or an aryl group, a and c each independently represent an integer of 1-3000, and b represents an integer of 1-50. ) a specific surface area of 350 m ² /g or less ,
At least one selected from the group consisting of a silicon compound having a hydrolyzable functional group or a condensable functional group, and a hydrolysis product of the silicon compound having a hydrolyzable functional group, and silica particles. A dry product of a wet gel that is a condensation product of the sol contained,
The silicon compound having a hydrolyzable functional group or a condensable functional group includes an alkyl silicon alkoxide and a polysiloxane compound,
An airgel particle having a ladder-type structure comprising a strut portion and a bridging portion, wherein the bridging portion has a structure represented by the following general formula (2) .

(In formula (2), R ⁵ and R ⁶ each independently represent an alkyl group or an aryl group, and b represents an integer of 1 to 50.) The airgel particles according to claim 3, wherein the ladder-type structure has a structure represented by the following general formula (3).

(In formula (3), R ⁵ , R ⁶ , R ⁷ and R ⁸ each independently represents an alkyl group or an aryl group, a and c each independently represent an integer of 1-3000, and b represents an integer of 1-50. ) The airgel particles according to claim 3 or 4 , which are for dispersion liquid preparation.