Environmental microscopy of capillary stress-induced strain behavior in ambient-pressure aerogels

Ambient pressure silica aerogel thin films have recently been prepared by exploiting reversible drying shrinkage caused by derivatization of the internal gel surface. Aerogels have porosities of upto 99.9% and due to the small size of the pores (few nanometers), large capillary stresses are produced in gels that are partially saturated with a wetting liquid. As a result of these capillary stresses, the flexible silica network undergoes strain which has been observed using environmental microscopy. This technique allows variation of the equilibrium vapor pressure and temperature, and a simultaneous monitoring of the deformation of the unconstrained film thickness. We have observed >600% deformation during the pore-filling and pore-emptying cycles. In this presentation, we discuss the unique stress-strain behavior of these films.Ref.: Sai S. Prakash, C. Jeffrey Brinker, Alan J. Hurd & Sudeep M. Rao, "Silica aerogel films prepared at ambient pressure by using surface derivatization to induce reversible drying shrinkage", Nature. Vol. 374, 30 March, 1995, 439-443.