Kenji Sonoda

Title: Kenji Sonoda: Inventor in Aerogel Technology

Introduction

Kenji Sonoda is an inventor associated with Kyoto, Japan. His listed work includes patents concerning aerogel materials and their production. He is credited with 4 patents.

Latest Patents

Sonoda’s listed patents include “Aerogel substrate and method for preparing the same” and “Process for producing aerogel.”

The process described in “Process for producing aerogel” lowers the pH of a water-glass solution to form a sol, then gels the sol to create a hydrogel. Water in the gel is replaced with an organic solvent, and the gel is treated with a hydrophobizing agent whose functional groups react with silanol groups. The gel is then supercritically dried, or hydrophobized while being supercritically dried. One preferred approach uses an ion-exchange resin to remove alkali metals from the water-glass solution, followed by suspension polymerization to prepare the hydrogel.

Career Highlights

Sonoda’s listed career affiliations include Matsushita Electric Works, Ltd., and Panasonic Electric Works Co., Ltd. His patent work reflects an interest in aerogel substrates and methods for producing aerogel.

Collaborations

Kenji Tsubaki and Hiroshi Yokogawa are identified as Sonoda’s coworkers.

Conclusion

Kenji Sonoda’s recorded inventions focus on aerogel materials and production processes, connecting his patent work with his listed career affiliations in the electrical and manufacturing industries.