SBIR Phase I: Defect-free manufacturing of ultra-clear monolithic silica aerogels for insulated glass units

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project advances the development of ultra-clear, super-insulating aerogels. Insulated glass manufacturers have a need for improvements to existing double-pane window manufacturing. Residential insulated glass units represent a $2 billion market in North America alone. Currently, windows in the U.S. lose $20 billion dollars in energy each winter. A double-pane window with a sheet of aerogel between glass panes can achieve a vastly improved insulation, as an aerogel thickness of just 3 mm enables a product 50% more insulating than gas-filled double-pane windows, comparable to triple-pane products. Adoption could enable cost-effective energy savings of 1.2 quadrillion BTUs by 2030. This work also extends to other markets, such as transparent doors for refrigeration and ovens, and solar thermal receivers for process heat, which also represent significant opportunities for energy savings and viable market applications. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project seeks to address key technical barriers for integration of super-insulating aerogels in window insulated glass units by focusing on two main risks. First, the project will further improve the optical clarity of the aerogel materials. The human eye is highly sensitive to haze and defects in transparent media, and although optical clarity meeting minimum requirements for the residential window market has been achieved, further improvement and testing are needed. Clarity will be improved by reducing haze through solution-gelation recipe optimization and by removing the fundamental causes of surface defects through development of mixing and molding strategies. Second, widespread adoption also requires straightforward incorporation of aerogel into insulated glass units. Bonding methods to attach aerogels directly to glass without reducing optical clarity will be developed, which will enable simple handling and incorporation into existing insulated glass unit manufacturing. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.