• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
• /
• v.36 no.11
• /
• pp.1189-1197
• /
• 1999

Low-density silica gel monolith was synthesized at ambient pressure by surface modification with TMCS and sub-sequent heat treatment. The mechanical thermal and optical properties of gel were studied. Compressive strength and modulus of compression of 350$^{\circ}C$-heated gel with the density of 0.24g/cm3 were 250kPa and 0.2MPa respectively. The thermal conductivity of silica gels synthesized at ambient pressure exhibited 0.02 W/m$.$K for the density of 0.24g/cm3 which is similar to that of the gel via supercritical drying and their main thermal transfer mechanism is considered to be solid and radiation conduction at room temperature. Ambient-dried silica gels were transparent blue showing about 60% of transmittance in the wavelength of 1500-2100nm and typical absorption bands of existing bonds under heat treatment at 350$^{\circ}C$. Medium scale monolity(${\Phi}$=50mm) at ambient pressure could be successfully prepared through total 5-month process period.