Abstract
In order to improve the mechanical properties of silica aerogels, we propose the synthesis of nano composite aerogels. Silica particles (20–100 nm) are added in the monomer solution, just before gelling and supercritical drying. The silica particles addition increases the mechanical properties, but also affects the aggregation process, the aerogel structure and the pore sizes. We discuss the different parameters which infer in the mechanical behaviour of silica aerogel such as: brittle behaviour, load bearing fraction of solid (pore volume), internal stresses (shrinkage), size and distribution of flaws, subcritical flaws propagation (chemical susceptibility). With silica particles addition, the mechanical properties rapidly increase, stiffening and strengthening the structure by a factor 4–8. Moreover, the mechanical strength distribution and the Weibull modulus characterizing the statistical nature of flaws size in brittle materials show a more homogeneous strength distribution. The composite structure is made of two imbricate networks, the polymeric silica and the particles silica networks. Ultra Small Angle X-ray Scattering experiments show that besides the fractal network usually built up by the organosiloxane, the silica particles is forming another fractal structure at a higher scale. The fractal structure could be related to the low Weibull parameter characteristic of a large flaws size distribution, pores being the critical flaws.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Gronauer M, Fricke J (1986) Acoustica 59:169
Nicolaon GA, Teichner SJ (1968) Bull Soc Chim France 5:1906
Fricke J (1992) J Non Cryst Solids 147–148:356
Schaefer DW, Keefer KD (1986) Phys Rev Lett 56:2199
Woignier T, Phalippou J, Pelous J, Courtens E (1990) J Non Cryst Solids 121:198
Brinker CJ, Scherer GW (1990) Sol–gel science. Academic Press, San Diego
Woignier T, Phalippou J, Prassas M (1990) J Mater Sci 25:3117
Teichner SJ, Vicarini GA, Gardes GEE (1976) Adv Coll Interface Sci 5:245
Tsou P (1995) J Non Cryst Solids 186:415
Reynes J, Woignier T, Phalippou J (2001) J Non Cryst Solids 285:353
Emmerling A, Fricke J (1992) J Non Cryst Solids 145:113
Vacher R, Woignier T, Pelous J, Courtens E (1988) Phys Rev. B 37(1):6500
Dumas J, Quinson JF, Serughetti J (1990) J Non Cryst Solids 125:244
Gross J, Fricke J (1992) J Non Cryst Solids 145:217
Scherer GW, Pardenec SA, Swiateck RM (1988) J Non Cryst Solids107:2214
Woignier T, Phalippou J (1988) J Non Cryst Solids 100:404
Woignier T, Alaoui A, Primera J, Phalippou J, Scherer GW (2010) Key Eng Mater 423:14
Zarzycki J (1988) J Non Cryst Solids 100:359
Gross J, Fricke J (1995) Nano Str Mater 6:905
Pekala RW, Hrubech HW, Tillotson TM, Alviso CT, Poco JF, Lemay JD (1991) Mat Res Soc Symp Proc 207:197
Miner MR, Hosticka B, Norris PN (2004) J Non Cryst Solids 350:285
Meador MA (2007) Chem Mater 19(9):2247
Rao AV, Pajonk GM (2004) J Non Cryst Solids 350:216
Leventis N, Palczer A, Mac CorKle L, Zhang G, Sotiriou-Leventis C (2005) J Sol Gel Sci Technol 35:99
Woignier T, Reynes J, Phalippou J, Dussossoy JL (2000) J Sol Gel Sci Technol 19:835
Bouaziz J, Sempere R, Bourret D, Regnier J (2006) J Non Cryst Solids 82:183
Aravind PR, Shajesh P, Mukundan P, Krishna Pillai P, Warrier KGK (2008) J Sol Gel Sci Technol 46(2):146
Scherer GW (1977) J Am Ceram Soc 60:237
Griffith AA (1920) Philos Trans R Soc London Ser A 221:168
Irwin GE (1948) Trans ASM 40A:47
Scherer GW (1992) J Non Cryst Solids 144:210
Woignier T, Despetis F, Alaoui A, Etienne P, Phalippou J (2000) J Sol Gel Sci Technol 19:163–169
Duffours L, Pernot F, Woignier T, Alaoui A, Phalippou J (1994) J Sol Gel Sci Technol 2:211–214
Etienne P, Phalippou J, Woignier T, Despetis F, Alaoui A (1995) J Non Cryst Solids 188:19
Etienne P, Woignier T, Alaoui A, Phalippou J (1997) J Sol Gel Sci Technol 8:801–806
Woignier T, Scherer GW, Alaoui A (1994) J Sol Gel Sci Technol 3:141
Alaoui A, Woignier T, Pernot F, Phalippou J (2000) J Non Cryst Solids 265:29
Evans AG, Tappin G (1972) Proc Br Ceram Soc 23:275
Evans AG (1974) Int J Fract 10:251
Michalske TA, Freiman SW (1983) J Am Ceram Soc 66(4):284
Toki M, Miyashita S, Takeuchi T, Kanabe S (1988) J Non Cryst Solids 110:479
Marlière C, Woignier T, Dieudonne P, Primera J, Lamy M, Phalippou J (2001) J Non Cryst Solids 285:175
Roche A, Dumas J, Quinson JF, Romand M (1991) In: Baptiste D (ed) Mechanics and mechanisms of damage in composite and multimaterials. Mechanical Engineering Publications, London, p 269
Alaoui A, Woignier T, Scherer GW, Phalippou J (2008) J Non Cryst Solids 354:4556
Oliver WC, Pharr GM (1992) J Mater Res 7:1564
Ferchichi A, Calas-Etienne S, Etienne P (2004) J Non Cryst Solids 344:60
Weibull W (1951) J Appl Mech 843:293
Hasselman DPH, Lange FF (1978) Plenum Press, New York, p 125
Sullivan JD, Lauzon PH (1986) J Mater Sci Lett 5:1245
Hdach H, Woignier T, Phalippou J, Scherer GW (1990) J Non Cryst Solids 121:202
Meakin P, Jullien R (1988) J Chem Phys 89(1):246
Courtens E, Pelous J, Phalippou J, Vacher R, Woignier T (1987) J Non Cryst Solids 95/96:1175
Woignier T, Alaoui A, Primera J, Phalippou J (2009) Key Eng Mater 391:27
Courtens E, Pelous J, Phalippou J, Vacher R, Woignier T (1988) Eur phys Lett 6(3):245
Vacher R, Woignier T, Coddens G, Pelous J, Courtens E (1989) Eur phys Lett 8(2):161
Wiederhorn M (1972) J Am Ceram Soc 55:81
Mischalske TA, Smith WL, Bunker BC (1991) J Am Ceram Soc 74:1993
Woignier T, Primera J, Lamy M, Fehr C, Anglaret E, Sempere R, Phalippou J (2005) J Non Cryst Solids 350:298
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Woignier, T., Primera, J., Hafidi Alaoui, A. et al. Mechanical behaviour of nano composite aerogels. J Sol-Gel Sci Technol 58, 385–393 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-011-2404-0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-011-2404-0