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Aerogel drying
with supercritical CO2 (scCO2)

Preservation of aerogel's porous structure
Reduced surface tension
Removal of solvent residues
Uniform drying
Improved physical properties
Why is aerogel the lightest and most efficient material
?

Aerogel, known as the world’s lightest material, consists mainly of gas (around 90%) and a porous solid (around 10%) such as silica or carbon. Aerogel is often called “solid smoke” or “smoke gel” because of its transparency, lightness and smoke-like appearance. Silica-based aerogel is particularly prized for its unique properties.

Thanks to its versatility, aerogel has a wide range of applications. Not only is it used on a laboratory scale, but it has also found its way into industrial applications such as construction (solutions to thermal bridge problems, thermal insulation of ultra-thin facades, interior insulation) or aerospace and high-tech.

What about supercritical CO2 for aerogel production?
The use of supercritical CO2 (scCO2) in aerogel production is a method employed for drying these materials. This process, often applied to aerogels made from organic compounds dissolved in solvents such as ethanol or acetone, extracts these solvents and produces a solid, pure material. Due to its low viscosity, scCO2 easily penetrates the pores of the aerogel, resulting in a highly porous material.

The advantages of sCO2
for aerogel drying

Supercritical CO2 drying offers several advantages over conventional methods.

Preserve the delicate, fine porous structure of aerogels

Unlike traditional methods, which can cause destructive capillary forces as the solvent evaporates, supercritical drying avoids these constraints, thus preserving the structural integrity of the material. What’s more, scCO2 has no surface tension, which reduces the risk of cracks or structural collapse during drying.

Efficient removal of organic solvent residues

This results in purer, higher-performance aerogels

A fast
and scalable process

What’s more, the scCO2 drying process is generally faster than conventional techniques, optimizing production time and improving efficiency.

Our aerogel drying equipment

For your aerogel production, we offer two ranges of standard equipment, depending on your needs: the SFE Prod range and the SFE Lab range. This aerogel drying equipment is designed to meet the specific requirements of aerogels for insulation and other industrial aerogel applications.

SFE Lab 500mL

Laboratory scale

SFE LAB

Standard range from 100ml to 2L

SFE Prod 2x5L

Production scale

SFE PROD

Standard range from 2x5L to 2x100L

All our machines can be prepared for GMP, 21 CFR Part 11 certification, to ensure compliance and safety in supercritical CO2 aerogel production.

Our R&D center for aerogel drying

SFE Process has a research and development laboratory to carry out your feasibility studies and develop innovations in aerogel production. Would you like to carry out trials before launching into ultra-light aerogel production? Our laboratory is equipped with several pilots to offer you a quality service and full support to scale-up from laboratory to pilot scale, producing your first batches of high-porosity aerogel.

Do you have a specific need?
Let's design a tailor-made solution together

SFE Process: experts in extraction and supercritical fluid technologies

We support you in the industrialization of your project, offering you comprehensive follow-up and professional training, anywhere in the world, throughout your process and well beyond!

Explore our Supercritical CO2 extraction solutions by application

At SFE Process, we offer supercritical CO2 (scCO2) extraction solutions for a variety of industries and specific applications. Find out how our innovative technology can meet your needs.

Schedule your appointment

Discover how SFE will revolutionize your aerogel drying process

Book a meeting with our engineers and chemists, so that together we can find the best solutions for implementing or improving your process.

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