Carbon-containing monolithic glasses prepared by a sol-gel process

摘要

A valuable intermediate for the preparation of carbon-containing monolithic glasses by solgel process is described which comprises a dispersion of a colloidal metal oxide or a mixture of colloidal metal oxide in a water-alcohol solution of the partial condensate of a silanol having the formula RSi(OH)₃ in which R is selected from the group consisting of alkyl radicals of 1 to 3 inclusive carbon atoms or the phenyl radical, or mixtures thereof. The composition contains 25 to 60 weight percent solids which themselves comprise 1 to 70 weight percent of colloidal oxide or mixtures thereof and 30 to 99 weight percent of the partial condensate. The metal oxides are selected from a group consisting essentially of (i) ZrO₂, (ii) Sn0₂, (iii) ZrSi0₄, (iv) B₂0₃ and (v) La₂0₃.