Cellulose aerogels have been prepared starting from cellulose-NMMO solutions via the classical aerogel-path. Different cellulosic materials have been tested and their influence on the properties of the product aerogels has been studied. Other parameters that have been varied include solution composition as well as the way of cellulose regeneration (solvent and temperature). More than 300 different samples were prepared and analysed. Their density is in a typical range from 0.02 g/cm 3 to 0.2 g/cm 3 and their internal surface area ranges from 100 m 2 /g to 400 m 2 /g. Another property investigated in detail beside density and internal surface area was the shrinkage of the cellulosic bodies during the production process.

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Chemical engineering education comprises a complexity of technical skills that include learning processes that are currently relevant in industry. Despite being a rather old industrial process, the manufacturing of viscose fibers still accounts for the major fraction of all human-made cellulosic fibers worldwide. Here we describe a laboratory setup to introduce chemistry and engineering students into the principles of cellulose fiber spinning according to the viscose process. The setup for fiber spinning is kept simplistic and allows the experiments to be performed without professional spinning equipment. However, all of the steps are performed analogously to the industrial process. The professional setting in process and chemical engineering involves work on projects and in teams. Hence, we have incorporated the fiber spinning laboratory experiment in the context of working in teams on projects. We will also present our experience on transferring a real-life laboratory experiment online, as this is required at times that online education is preferred over real-life teaching.

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