Microstructure and physicochemical properties of ambient-dried SiO2 aerogels with K2Ti6O13 whisker additive

Nanoporous silica-based aerogels with additive of K2Ti6O13 whisker were successfully synthesized by an ambient pressure drying method. After aging and washing of wet gel, surface modification with cyclohexane was followed to replace the solvent with the pores of wet gel to reduce the surface tension during ambient drying. The microstructure and physicochemical properties of the SiO2–K2Ti6O13 aerogels were characterized by SEM, TEM, FTIR, TG-DTA and XRD. Their specific surface was in the range of 785–1210 m2/g and their average pore size was between 10 and 20 nm. The transparency of the as-dried aerogels was enhanced as K2Ti6O13 whisker was increased and the transmittance of the heat-treated aerogels was slightly decreased with increasing heat-treatment temperature.