23 Jul FOAMED SOL-GEL AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURING THE SAME
Abstract
A process for making foamed glasses and ceramics from sol-gels is disclosed. The method includes preparing a mixture of reactants capable of forming a sol-gel with addition of a catalyst to control the condensation stage followed by foaming using vigorous agitation in the presence of surfactants. The gelled bodies are aged, dried, and thermally stabilized to obtain a consolidated macroporous material. The resulting structure comprises a three-dimensional network of spherical open pores that are thoroughly interconnected. The process may involve sol-gel systems using a mixture of metal alkoxides, and may produce glasses in unary systems (SiO2), binary systems (70% mol SiO2-30% mol CaO), and ternary systems (60% mol SiO2, 36% mol CaO, 4% mol P2O5). The macro-porous material has pores in the 10-500 μm range and has potential for use as matrix in tissue engineering, in bone repair, and in organ regeneration.
Year: 2011
Country: US
Doc No: 2011163472