Macromol. Mater. Eng. 9/2009

Cover: Low density, ice-templated aerogel composites are created using various water soluble polymers and sodium montmorillonite. The total volume of liquid absorbed is found to be strongly affected by the rigidity of the matrix and not by internal microstructure or volume. Soft matrices collapse in the presence of liquid, however, when reinforced by natural fibers, the samples retain enough integrity to create useful low density absorbent materials that may potentially be used in applications such as litter box filler. Further details can be found in the article by M. D. Gawryla and D. A. Schiraldi* on page 570.