if and only if u can acquire TEOS cheaply

 

or find a cheap substitute for TEOS

cause that always made me mad the they added sudz to simulate previous cleaning agents.  Then they lower the sudz content, saving money and then charge more for it like they had to remove it chemically, but really just didn't add as much.

i don't understand what you are saying.

i haven't graduated. I am just spewing nonsense in response to corvettholic

I'm going to win my school's bridge building contest :D:D

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Quote from: Blueshawk on 22:51:32
cause that always made me mad the they added sudz to simulate previous cleaning agents.  Then they lower the sudz content, saving money and then charge more for it like they had to remove it chemically, but really just didn't add as much.
 
 
Quote from Geodome

i don't understand what you are saying.

i haven't graduated. I am just spewing nonsense in response to corvettholic



     I was refering to a post that stated..I dont remember who or what forum....that someone work in an industrial scale detergent project.
 I was refering to detergents that use sudz..the chemical that makes soaps and detergent foamy.

They aren't really too hard to make.  And as far as expenses go, I have been using the same $150 TMOS since last January and still have about 1/3 left.  That accounts for hundreds of gels.  Some people try to use sodium silicates as well, however, I have not had any luck with it.  TEOS is a little cheaper and less hazardous, but produces slightly different aerogels.  If anyone is serious about making some, let me know if you have questions and I will be happy to help.

contrary to p I haven't found teos or tmos to be particularly harmful.  in my experience, having worked with both silanes and various alkyl silanes, I rarely worked in a fumehood much less a glove box.  you certainly don't want to ingest or inhale the material but with good technique that can be avoided. The silanes arent particularly volatile at RT which is the temp at which many sol-gel precursors/gels are processed.  In the case of heating the materials a well ventilated hood is a must.  The glove box was probably to avoid moisture getting into your starting material and condensing an unknown portion of your silane.

as for the super critical apparatus (typcially >$1500) designs are available on the internet and it is just a matter of having a machine shop make one for you for a third of the price. a bit expensive if you're just looking to dabble