Fabrication of carbon aerogel sheet and techniques of removing its dense layer

This paper introduces the fabrication of carbon aerogel sheets with different thicknesses and densities and corresponding superficial micro-treatments. By resorcinol and formaldehyde’s polymerization reaction and via a self-made flexible mould, a series of carbon aerogel sheets were obtained. Their thicknesses range from 80 to 350 μm and densities range from 50 to 600 mg·cm-3. The sheets were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscope, X-ray phase contrast imaging method and form Talysurf profiler. The results indicate that the carbon aerogel sheet has the same inner microstructure with the bulk. However, its surface has a dense layer which is obviously different from its inner microstructure. Several materials with different roughness were used to treat the