Structure evolution of silica aerogel was studied in microwave- and conventionally processed samples over the temperature range from 25 to 1200â °C. The samples were produced using sol-gel processing and dried under carbon dioxide supercritical conditions. After drying, the monolithic samples received a thermal treatment at different programmed temperatures in two different ovens, conventional and microwave. The microwave process was performed using a single mode microwave oven at 2.45GHz. Dielectric properties were measured using the cavity perturbation method, and structural characterization was carried out using a variety of techniques, including absorption surface analysis, Helium pycnometry, Archimedes principle, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and high resolution microscopy. The data obtained revealed that structural differences do exist between microwave- and conventionally processed samples.
Three different regions were identified from the structural characterization of the samples. Regions I exhibited a structure densification at temperatures between 25 and 850â °C. Region II was characterized by a bulk densification in the temperature range from 850 to 1200â °C. Region III was represented by the onset of crystallization above 1200â °C. Explanation and possible causes behind the structural differences observed in each region are provided. In general, the structure evolution observed in microwave- and conventionally processed samples followed the same order, but occurred at lower temperature for the microwave process. / Ph. D.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VTETD/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/27801 |
| Date | 01 June 2010 |
| Creators | Folgar, Carlos Eduardo |
| Contributors | Materials Science and Engineering, Clark, David E., Viehland, Dwight D., Suchicital, Carlos T. A., Pickrell, Gary R. |
| Publisher | Virginia Tech |
| Source Sets | Virginia Tech Theses and Dissertation |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Rights | In Copyright, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
| Relation | Folgar_CE_2010.pdf |
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