The Journal of Supercritical Fluids 134 (2018) 228–233

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The Journal of Supercritical Fluids

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/supflu

Aerogel production: Current status, research directions, and future T

opportunities
⁎
Irina Smirnova , Pavel Gurikov
Institute of Thermal Separation Processes, Hamburg University of Technology, Eißendorfer Straße 38, 21073 Hamburg, Germany

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Keywords: Being the lightest solid materials known, and given the great variety of possible chemistries capable of yielding
Aerogels wet-gels, aerogels and composite aerogel materials have a tremendous potential in a wide range of applications,
Applications where high pore volume and high surface area play major roles. Today, the main commercialized application of
Aerogel production aerogels is thermal insulation, although aerogels can be used for a huge variety of applications such as elec-
trochemistry (super capacitors), carrier of catalysts and other active agents, filling materials, materials for tissue
engineering etc. However, industrial production of aerogels is so far mostly limited to silica-based systems,
limiting the possibility to prove the potential application by prototyping. In this paper first the state of the art of
the aerogel manufacturing and applications are briefly discussed. Based on the current status, main knowledge
gaps and challenges are identified and the future research directions from the point of view of the authors are
derived. In the next future, we expect significant further development in the area of the organic and hybrid
aerogel aerogels, optimization of their manufacturing processes and their transfer to the market.

1. Introduction
Aerogels are low-density nanoporous solids with a fine, open-pore
structure resulting in low densities (0.003–0.15 kg/m3), high porosity
and large surface areas (500–1000 m2/g). This combination of proper-
ties makes them unique in many senses, opening a possibility to a huge
number of applications, some of which have been commercialized al-
ready. The definition of aerogels has been discussed a lot in the last
years [1]. According to Smirnova and Gurikov [2] an aerogel is an open
colloidal or polymeric network consisting of loosely packed, bonded
particles or fibers that is expanded throughout its volume by a gas and
therefore exhibits very low density and high specific surface area.
Although the method of preparation is not included in this defini-
tion, aerogels are usually formed by removing all swelling agents from
an initial gel without substantial volume reduction or network com-
paction or degradation. Initial gel can consist of virtually any material
or combination of different ones (hybrid aerogels). Therefore the
chemistry of aerogels is very flexible: their pore size and surface area
can be tailored; furthermore, different functional groups can be im-
plemented in order to provide desired mechanical and physico-che-
mical properties. Although a large number of aerogels exist, the authors
are convinced that a lot more new aerogel types are going to be dis-
covered in the next years, since especially hybrid aerogels enable to
modify the properties and add new functionalities depending on the
target application. Other way around, if the properties of aerogels are
improved, new applications, which were impossible in the past (for
instance due to poor mechanical properties, sensitivity to moisture or
low sorption capacity) would be enabled in the future. Accordingly, the
main focus of this paper is to point out and shortly discuss the most
promising research directions towards this goal.
2. Aerogels: current state
2.1. Availability of aerogels
Aerogels can be generally produced in different forms, included
complex customized monoliths, since the original liquid starting mix-
ture can be shaped during the gel formation. For thermal insulation,
Cherenkov detectors, and supercapacitors, often monoliths are needed.
At the same time, certain flexibility along with the pre-shaped forms
can be desired as realized through the incorporation of aerogels into
textiles and other matrices. However for many applications (for in-
stance filler materials, carrier for pharmaceuticals and cosmetics)
monolithic or matrix-supported form is not necessary needed. Here
granules or powder is the desired shape of the aerogel product, which
has been realized by several suppliers already. Fig. 1 represents ex-
amples of different forms of commercially available aerogel materials.
Recently, production of aerogel fibers was suggested, although not

⁎
Corresponding author.
E-mail address: smirnova@tuhh.de (I. Smirnova).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.supflu.2017.12.037
Received 23 October 2017; Received in revised form 26 December 2017; Accepted 26 December 2017
Available online 27 December 2017
0896-8446/ © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
I. Smirnova, P. Gurikov The Journal of Supercritical Fluids 134 (2018) 228–233

Fig. 1. Different forms of available aerogel materials

(examples) [4–7].

commercialized yet [3]. Table 1, we provide a list of the commercial aerogel suppliers estab-
Aerogels have been for a long time seen as a curious material ex- lished today (to the best of author’s knowledge).
isting mainly in the labs. However, today at least silica aerogels as well Generally organic and carbon aerogels can be ordered in small
as some organic and carbon aerogel are commercially available. In amounts for academic purposes (e.g., via [8]). Besides that, several

Table 1
Commercial aerogel suppliers established today (to the best of author’s knowledge). Producer of aerogel-based products, which do not manufacture the aerogels themselves are not
included.

Region Country Producer Chemical nature of the aerogel Aerogel form

North America USA Aspen Aerogel Mainly silica incorporated in textiles Blankets
American Aerogel Diverse Diverse
NanoPore Inc Silica Thin films and related products
Aerogel Technologies Organic aerogels, other types on demand Panels, particles, customized
TAASI Mainly silica-based Powder, granules, beads, small monoliths, customized
Marketech International Inc. Customized Mainly small monoliths, customized
CDT Systems Inc. Carbon, composite materials Monoliths and solutions for water purification and
electrochemistry
Dow Corning (Head quarter in USA) Silica Powder
Cabot Corp. (aerogel production in Mainly silica incorporated in support matrix; Blankets/sheets/ granulates
Germany) Hydrophobic silica
Europe Germany BASF SE Polyurethane Monolithic panels
Sweden Airglass Transparent silica Monoliths
Svenska Aerogel Silica Powder, granules
Portugal Active Aerogels Silica composites Sheets
Spain Green Earth Aerogels Silica from rice wastes and husks Powder, granules
Enersens SAS Silica Powder/small monoliths
Keey Aerogels Mainly silica, silica incorporated in support Particles
matrix
Switzerland Nexaero Hydrophobic silica Particles
Asia China NanoHigh-Tech Co. Ltd Silica, organic, diverse Diverse
South Korea JIOS Aerogel Corp Mainly silica Powder
Japan Tiem Factory Inc. Silica (ambient drying) Powder/Granules/ Monoliths

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I. Smirnova, P. Gurikov The Journal of Supercritical Fluids 134 (2018) 228–233

academic groups have developed their own aerogel products and offer

Low energy costs; well established process; extensive use of

Significant energy costs due to CO2 compression (may be

improved by process optimization); so far bath process;
them also on request. The aerogel market is seen as having a high

High energy costs to maintain low temperature; batch

(heating); batch process, High explosion and toxicity

growth potential, as lab scale process breakthroughs described in the

lower explosion risk due to low T and CO2 nature

Moderate energy costs to reach critical conditions
scientific literature, show potential of being translated into industrial
scale processes.

2.2. Current state of production process

Aerogel production process is traditionally divided in 3 steps: gel

formation (chemical reaction, crosslinking, sol-gel transformation),

hydrophobization agents
Main energy costs/Risks
solvent exchange (if required by the following drying) and drying.
Sometimes, some post-processing (hydrophobization, coating etc.) is
needed. The shape of the final aerogel (monolith, granules, powder) is
mainly formed during the gel formation (for example by molding). At

hazards
the same step, the microstructure of the later aerogel arises. Thus, the

process
main requirement to the following solvent exchange and drying is to
preserve this microstructure as well as shape from compaction and

in/out the matrix; Well compatible with all kind of gels

further changes. The gel formation as such uses mainly the well-known

Drying kinetics depend on the CO2/solvent transport

Temperature > 100 °C often not compatible with the
organic gels; possible side reactions with the solvent
Target density below 0.03 g/cm3 hardly achievable;
reactions of organic and/or inorganic materials and can be realized

density > 0.1 g/cm3 are reported; Not possible for

Compaction of the matrix: mainly aerogels with
based on the corresponding principles provided by chemistry. At the
same time, the preservation of the microstructure formed by the reac-
tion is the key and the main challenge of the aerogel production. All
aerogels commercially available at large scale presently use the sol-
vents, which are directly applicable for drying and therefore do not

fragile and hydrophilic matrices

Limitations for the gel matrix
involve the solvent exchange. Therefore we can conclude that there is
actually no state of the art for the solvent exchange on industrial scale.

pores partly destroyed

At the lab-scale the solvent exchange is mainly needed for the pro-
duction of all types of aerogels based on hydrogels, since water is poorly
miscible with CO2 at reasonably low pressures and temperatures.
Obviously, the scale-up of the solvent exchange needs to be established
in the future. The drying itself can be conducted in three different ways:
at ambient conditions, at supercritical conditions or at low pressure and
temperature below the melting point (freeze drying). Specific features
Chemical hydrophobization of the matrix is

of these processes are summarized in Table 2.

Solvent should be reasonably mixable with

Addition of modifier (e.g. tert-butanol) to

CO2 at process conditions; For hydrogels

It is obvious that each drying process has its own advantages and
disadvantages. However, in authors’s opinion, supercritical drying by
No solvent exchange needed; direct
conversion of the solvent to critical
Preparation steps prior to drying

CO2 extraction is the most general, safe and environmentally friendly

way of drying, suitable for virtually all kinds of gels. Still, a lot of efforts
avoid structure compaction

are needed to reduce the drying time and the energy costs associated
solvent exchange needed

with this process. Freeze drying seems to be an alternative, if hydrogels

can be directly dried without severe loss of the pore volume and surface
area, what is for instance the case for high density gels. Moreover,
often needed

freeze drying is usually a long process (tens of hours) leaving a room for
conditions

process intensification. However, realization of all drying types at large

scale for aerogel manufacturing is currently almost exclusively limited
to the silica-based matrices and should be further extended for other gel
types.
T > 31 °C P > 74 bar Typically 40 °C,
Over critical point of organic solvent
Ambient pressure, room or slightly

used for gel formation T > 100 °C

2.3. Raw materials for the aerogel production

Obviously, the diversification and scale up of the aerogel production

Vacuum (P < 100 mbar);

is closely associated with the availability and costs of the raw materials
elevated temperature

−70 < T < −20 °C

used for their manufacturing. Concerning silica aerogels, organic sili-

cates and water glass (Na2SiO3)n are established precursors. However,
100–150 bar
Drying technologies for aerogel production.

P > 30 bar
Conditions

silica can be found in different types of biomass (inorganic ash).

Recently, ashes of various (industrial) biowastes containing silica spe-
cies, such as rice husk [9,10], bagasse [11], oil shale [12], fly [13], and
wheat husk [14], have been used as a silica source for aerogel pro-
duction. The company “Green Earth Aerogels” has commercialized the
Direct supercritical drying
(high temperature)

Supercritical drying by

production of silica aerogels from rice husks already.

CO2 extraction

In the last decade low-molecular-weight gelators have been con-

Ambient drying

sidered as precursors [15,16], which could give a new opportunity to

Freeze drying

integrate the experience from supramolecular chemistry into aerogel

technology. In the case of organic aerogels, biopolymers from various
Table 2

renewable sources can be used (alginate, pectin, chitosan, and pro-

teins). Lignocellulosic biomasses that are another source of cellulose

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Table 3
Main aerogel applications.
(adopted from [2]).

Application Type of aerogel involved Decisive aerogel properties

Thermal insulation of buildings, pipelines, Silica; polyurethane; biopolymers (cellulose, alginate, pectin); Thermal conductivity: main importance to the homogeneity of
packaging, winter apparel products, carbon aerogels the pore size distribution to ensure Knudsen diffusion,
textiles. Composites: interpenetrated aerogel networks, macropores should be avoided; high mechanical stability;
granulate + aerogel network, nonporous material + aerogel hydrophobicity
granulate; textile + aerogel granulate; clay-containing aerogels
Drug delivery Native silica; biopolymers: alginate, pectin, starch, chitosan, High surface area, accessibility of the pores for the drugs
cellulose, and hybrids thereof (micropores may be a hindrance), affinity to specific drugs
(surface modification may be needed)
Tissue engineering Mainly biopolymers: alginate, pectin, starch, chitosan, cellulose, Combination of meso- and macroporosity in the same material,
and hybrids thereof biocompatibility
Medical implants Polyurea crosslinked aerogels, natural biopolymers: alginate, Pore structure suitable to applications (usually micropores to
alginate-starch, gellan gum, hybrids with gelatin be avoided), biocompatibility, stability in liquids,
biodegradability
Cosmetics Silica particles Amorphous aerogel backbone, potential to adsorb liquid,
flowability
Catalysts and carrier materials for catalysis SiO2, various metal oxides (TiO2, Al2O3, CuO-CoO-MnO/SiO2, High surface area, stability in corresponding gaseous or liquid
and Electrocatalysis Fe2O3, ZrO2), graphene oxide, Ru/graphene, gold, chalcogenides phases, transport through large meso- and macropores
and their mixtures, carbon (fuel cells), polysaccharides, (chitosan,
alginate), noble metals and bimetals, Pt-Ni, hybrids of metal and
semiconductor nanoparticles, photovoltaics
Biocatalysis Mainly silica Compatibility with enzymes, absence of toxic gelation by-
products, pore sizes adjusted to molecular size of reaction
products/adducts
Energy/hydrogen storage devices Carbon, graphene-oxide, combinations thereof, including those Large surface area, electrical conductivity
with functionalized pores
Sorbents for liquids, hazardous ions (heavy Carbon, graphene-oxide, combinations thereof, including those Surface functionalization to ensure the selectivity to target
metal ions) (e.g., water treatment), with functionalized pores; functionalized/hydrophobized silica molecules, open porosity, hydrophobicity, or oleophobicity
sorbent for oil spills aerogels; magnetic cellulose aerogel, titania, clay aerogels
(Bio)sensors Au-carbon aerogel (doped with nanoparticles), graphene, silica, Surface functionalization to ensure the selectivity to target
zirconium phosphate–carbon, carbon/metal hybrids, N-doped molecules, open porosity
graphene, graphene/alginate, tungsten oxide, graphene-ZnO,
resorcinol-formaldehyde aerogels, MoS2/graphene, boron nitride
aerogel
Sorbents for gases (CO2, hazardous gases, Silica, amino-modified silica, carbon, graphene-oxide, Surface functionalization to ensure the selectivity to target
VOC) combinations thereof including functionalization (e.g., N-doping) molecules, open porosity
Cherenkov detectors Silica Refractive index
Ballistic protection Crosslinked silica aerogels Mechanical strength
Fillers (paints) Silica particles Hydrophobicity, particle size
Separation technologies (membranes) Carbon, fiber-aerogel hybrids, graphene, graphene oxide, chitosan Selectivity to target molecules, pore size tuning,
hydrophobicity
Miniaturized gas (μ-Knudsen) pump Hydrophobized silica aerogel Low skeletal and gas thermal conductivities, open-porous
structure (rarefied air flow)
Foundry Resorcinol-formaldehyde, carbon Pore structure, open porosity
Construction material Silica aerogels in high performance aerogel concrete Mechanical properties and density of composites
Space applications Mainly silica and hybrids Transparency, thermal conductivity

and lignin have recently attracted a great deal of attention as starting
materials for aerogel preparation [17]. Principally, all these biopoly-
mers can also be a source for carbon aerogels produced by pyrolysis. An
alternative way to find new raw materials for organic aerogels is based
on recycling of used materials, analogous to paper or plastic recycling;
the use of waste newspaper [18] and waste cotton fabrics [19] to pre-
pare cellulosic aerogels support this idea. For sure, further synthetic
routes are possible, even taking into account that waste materials are
always a mixed fraction of different polymers.
2.4. Current state of applications
In the following, we discuss the existing and potential applications
of different aerogel types, although only a part of them are commer-
cialized today. Currently, the main market application of aerogels is
thermal insulation, since aerogels are the best thermal insulating ma-
terial besides vacuum insulation panels. However, further applications
as carrier and filler material (cosmetics, pharmaceutics), supercapacitor
(electronic) and absorber (environmental area) are already developed.
Those and further application areas are summarized in Table 3 adapted
from [2].
2.5. Knowledge Gaps/Needs in aerogel technology
The numerous existing and potential applications of different types
of aerogels developed in academia clearly show that the existing
aerogel production, being mostly limited to inorganic aerogels needs to
be further developed. In the last decades organic aerogels of different
origins have been intensively studied in academia and further devel-
oped within several EU projects. It was shown, that a number of dif-
ferent organic precursors (biopolymers) can be utilized to produce
aerogels from sustainable sources and with specific functions, which
can be successfully used in different emerging areas (adsorption, cos-
metics, biocatalysis, drug delivery etc.). Due to such properties like
mechanical elasticity, presence of diverse functional groups, biode-
gradability, biocompatibility, they can successfully find the way to the
market. Nevertheless, in order to prove the real applicability of these
new types of aerogels in industrial settings, significant amount of ma-
terials are needed for prototyping. Organic aerogels (besides Slentite
produced at the pilot scale in Lemförde, Germany) are available only in
small amounts, mainly for academic purposes, although polymeric and
biopolymeric aerogels offer many beneficial properties, especially for
the applications in the life science field (e.g. mechanical elasticity, di-
verse functional groups, biodegradability, biocompatibility). In the

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I. Smirnova, P. Gurikov
opinion of the authors, these facts clearly indicate the direction of
further developments in this area. At the same time, making the aero-
gels to competitive products requires not only further scale-up of the
production process, but also the critical consideration of the raw ma-
terials. Based on these considerations, following critical gaps and needs
in fundamental and process-related could be identified1:
• Critical assessment and strategies towards diversification of raw
materials for the aerogel production in terms of availability, en-
vironmental footprint, and later recycling (including the use of re-
cycled polymers as raw materials).
• Understanding/tailoring of hybrid aerogels: structure-properties
relations between the characteristics of the individual polymers and
the properties of the final matrix.
• General upscale of the organic aerogels production, including sol-
vent exchange.
• Establishing and upscale of the manufacturing process for organic
and hybrid aerogels directly in form of particles or fibers with well-
defined size distribution and controlled porosity.
• The majority of the operations involved in the current manu-
facturing process are based on empirical optimization. For further
improvement and scale up of the process, multi-scale modelling of
all process steps (gel formation, especially for hybrid systems; sol-
vent exchange; swelling and shrinkage of the gel matrix; drying,
especially supercritical one) is needed.
• Aerogels are currently produced only batch-wise. Here the transfer
to the continuous processes would bring a significant advantage,
although the solutions are not obvious due to depressurization steps.
• Standardization of the characterization methods for aerogels (e.g.
measurements of pore size distribution, density of irregularly
shaped samples or powders, thermal conductivity, mechanical
properties) could improve the comparability of the results from
different sources. Therefore guidelines for such measurements is-
sued in collaboration of the corresponding institutions may be
useful.
2.6. Future Directions/Perspectives
The authors are convinced that the aerogel field will continue its
rapid development in the coming years. Thereby the key factor is the
simultaneous development of the material aspects and corresponding
production process to decrease aerogel prices and enable practical ap-
plications apart from pure academic research. At the same time, de-
velopment of new aerogel types should be application driven and target
product properties and restrictions should be known from the begin-
ning. This can be realized only by close cooperation between academic
groups and industrial partners, which should be further encouraged.
Following directions of research in the opinion of the authors are
the most promising and highly needed:
2.6.1. Polymer based aerogels
There is currently a great interest in using of synthetic polymers and
biopolymers for aerogel production. Biopolymers from various sources
such as polysaccharides (alginate, cellulose, pectin, chitosan, chitin),
lignin, proteins and others have been used as precursors. Exemplary,
the EU project “Aerowood” aims to use different fractions from of lig-
nocellulose (different C5 and C6 sugars) for aerogel production [20].
Resulting aerogels exhibit both specific functions of the starting bio-
polymer and typical features of aerogels (open porous structure with
high specific surface and pore volume). This synergy of properties offers
1
Partly based on the roadmap (Strategiepapier) for aerogel development in Germany,
written in collaboration with the members of Aerogel Cluster of the German Federal
Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWI), including L.Ratke, B.Milow,
G.Reichenauer, W.Lölsberg, M.Fricke and their colleagues and coworkers (submitted
September 2015).
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The Journal of Supercritical Fluids 134 (2018) 228–233
a high potential for a wide spectrum of applications (see Table 3).
Biopolymer characteristics (molecular weight, composition, degree of
branching) have a significant effect on both bulk properties of the
aerogels as well as on their porous network on molecular level.
Thus, the major scope of research in biopolymer aerogels is the
establishing of quantitative relations between aerogel properties and
chemical nature of the raw materials as well as materials’ combinations.
Further, the search for suitable raw materials with better sustainability
and lower prices must continue, especially for commodity applications.
2.6.2. Hybrid aerogels
Hybrid materials offer an almost unlimited potential for the further
development. Combinations of different polymer matrices, modification
of inorganic ones, and combinations with third materials (fibers, par-
ticles, textiles) are the most promising ways to fulfill the requirements
of specific applications and to transfer the chemically promising aero-
gels into a real product. If the final properties cannot be reached by the
co-gelation of different materials, post-treatment is a promising alter-
native. Post-treatment can include coating, hydrophobization or even
pyrolysis (in case of carbon aerogel production) and offers an oppor-
tunity to can further broaden the final properties of aerogels. However,
the development of hybrid materials cannot be purely empirical, since
the number of possible combinations is too high. Synergetic effects
between different precursors and additives need to be understood and
modelled on the molecular level. Generally, this is the only way to the
rational design of new hybrid materials. Especially the modelling of
aerogel mechanical properties entirely based on their molecular struc-
ture is beneficial and should be thereby further developed.
2.6.3. Conductive aerogels
On the borderline between electrochemistry, biochemistry, and re-
newable energies highly porous conductive materials are rapidly de-
veloping, whereas this high interdisciplinary leads to new requirements
to be fulfilled. In this sense, all types of carbon-based aerogels, in-
cluding carbon nanotubes, graphene, and graphene oxide as well as
aerogels derived from different metals and their hybrids have received a
lot of attention. Such aerogels can be produced from several different
organic gels via pyrolysis, whereas the structure of the initial gel mainly
predetermines the structure of the final carbon aerogels, enabling sig-
nificant variations in pore size. Original electrical conductivity of the
material can be increased via appropriate additives/coatings. Most
probably the application in (electro)catalysis, hydrogen storage, su-
percapacitors, fuel cells will further promote the development of
aerogels in the future.
2.6.4. Process development
The chances of the different aerogel-based products to be trans-
ferred to the market heavily depend upon further reduction of cost
associated with the production process. Overall decrease in aerogel
production time will significantly contribute to this goal. To reach this
purpose, fundamental understanding of the thermodynamics and ki-
netics of the solvent exchange and the drying process as well as its
translation into the corresponding multiscale modelling is required. The
choice of the working solvent, its interaction with the matrix and it
influence on the drying process should be rationalized. Here corre-
sponding models on the molecular level, including all the solvent ex-
change steps and the corresponding gel behavior (swelling/shrinkage)
need to be developed. Importantly, the issues of the energy consump-
tion of all process steps should be then derived on the macroscopic
level. Here such issues as flow profiles in the reactors, reactor design
and effective use of the reactor volume (gel/volume ratio) should be
taken into account. An example of such a modelling is given in the work
of Lebedev et al. [21], who have published CFD modelling of super-
critical drying step.
In the future the main focus should be on the transition from batch
to (semi)continuous processes. For production of monoliths, semi-
I. Smirnova, P. Gurikov
continuous manufacturing seems to be the only possible way, because
the depressurization step for taking the monoliths out of the autoclave
is needed. In the case of particle and fiber production more options
seem to be available. The production of aerogels directly in the form of
particles or thin fibers has a tremendous advantage: the solvent ex-
traction time for small particles is much shorter than that for monoliths,
allowing for significant reductions in process costs. In this case, the
numbering-up strategy using relatively small autoclaves with fixed beds
or even truly continuous processes may be possible. Further, in case of
particles the extraction is not solely dominated by the diffusion, as in
case of monoliths, but also by the mass transport outside the particles.
Therefore, adjustment of the flow conditions could reduce the drying
time and costs much more significantly in case of monoliths (the
smaller the particle size, the larger the influence of the mass transport).
Here, fluidized bed could bring an additional advantage of an effective
mass and heat transfer during the drying [22]. Surely, any other
equipment with an effective flow profile could be used instead. In case
of fibers, extrusion or electrospinning (may be directly in CO2 atmo-
sphere) seems principally suitable. However, continuous depressuriza-
tion is still an issue, which is not fully solved even for particles.
Analogous to the CO2 extraction, the solvent exchange procedure
(water-organic solvent) being only a batch process for monoliths, in
case of particles can be principally processed in a flow mode providing
a solvent concentration gradient, like it is usually done in liquid chro-
matography, since the diffusion paths are much shorter. This procedure
could replace a tedious step-wise solvent exchange used for monoliths.
2.6.5. Establishing of pilot facilities
Generally, we face the problem that even if companies are inter-
ested in the commercialization of a certain aerogel-based product, there
is not enough material available for prototyping. Therefore, more pilot
production facilities are needed to produce enough material for pro-
totyping and to engage with large enterprises. Simultaneously, different
scale-up concepts and process variation can be tested at the pilot scale
and thus enable the further growth of the field. Here we expect new
start-up companies coming from the academia and taking over the lead
in this area.
3. Conclusions
Aerogels are very diverse porous materials with high potential for
the versatile applications. Already existing aerogels enable a very ef-
fective thermal insulation, supercapacitors, and carrier for different
active agents. Future research rather than being purely academic,
should be driven by potential applications, determining the properties
of the aerogels and the peculiarities of the production process. We ex-
pect especially rapid growth in the research areas of life science, en-
vironmental applications and electrochemistry. This can be achieved by
further development of organic and hybrid aerogels and optimization of
their manufacturing processes at pilot and production scale.
Disclaimer
References to companies and their products do not mean
233
The Journal of Supercritical Fluids 134 (2018) 228–233
recommendation or endorsement by the authors or by the Journal of
Supercritical Fluids.
Conflict of interest
The authors have no conflict of interest with the companies men-
tioned in the manuscript.
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