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Summary

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 November 2013

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Extract

The development of LDMMs is a significant scientific accomplishment. This article provided an overview of the synthesis, structural characterization, and properties of these materials. Hopefully, the reader gained an appreciation for (1) the diverse morphologies of these materials, (2) their unique structure-property relationships, and (3) the difficulty in simultaneously achieving low densities with small cell sizes. This section will briefly discuss the future development of these materials and their potential commercial applications.

Although substantial progress has been made in the scientific understanding of the formation of LDMMs, many important questions remain. As mentioned earlier, LDMMs rarely display an ideal spinodal morphology even though many of these structures have been established by phase-separation of polymer/solvent systems. Such morphologies appear to coarsen after the initial structure is established. The question arises — on what length scales is phase-separation taking place and how does its temporal evolution affect LDMM structure? In aerogel processing, polymerlike gels are formed, but certain sol-gels do not behave in accordance with theories on the swelling of conventional polymer gels. Why is this, and what is the effect on the final aerogel morphology? These and other questions can only be answered with a better understanding of gel structures and the dynamics of their formation. This is an important area for future research because the information gained can be used to tailor LDMMs for specific applications.

Type
Technical Feature
Information
MRS Bulletin , Volume 15 , Issue 12 , December 1990 , pp. 44 - 46
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1990

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