Article
Chemistry, Physical
Xin Long, Pengkai Tang, Lichun Zhou, Wei Chen, Sijia Ren, Yuhong Qiu, Luxi Sui, Xiongbang Wei, Jiaxuan Liao
Summary: Aerogels, a lightweight and highly efficient thermal insulator, have been hindered in development and application due to their poor mechanical properties. To overcome this issue, we innovatively employed reversible sacrificial hydrogen bondings, resulting in a polybenzoxazine aerogel with exceptional mechanical properties and a lightweight structure. This aerogel (density 0.231 g/cm3 and porosity 90.7%) exhibits high compression strength (14.36 MPa) and suitable deformation capacity (19.6% fracture strain), along with good fatigue resistance. Additionally, it possesses outstanding thermal insulation properties (0.03012 W/(m center dot K) at 25 degrees C and 0.03486 W/(m center dot K) at 150 degrees C) and hydrophobic properties (hydrophobic angle 148.7 degrees and saturated mass moisture absorption rate about 0.63%). Consequently, it holds great potential as a high-efficiency thermal insulator in buildings, industries, aerospace vehicles, etc.
APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Wang Liao, Zihang Li, Ling Yang
Summary: Thermal insulation materials with excellent fire safety and mechanical performances are urgently desired. Cross network composite aerogels (CNCAs) are designed with specific materials to achieve these desired properties. CNCAs demonstrate low density, high strength, anisotropic thermal conductivity, high fire safety, and excellent load capacity after-fire residue.
ADVANCED ENGINEERING MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Composites
Zhi-Hao Wu, Xiao-Lan Feng, Yong-Xiang Qu, Li-Xiu Gong, Kun Cao, Guo-Dong Zhang, Yongqian Shi, Jie-Feng Gao, Pingan Song, Long-Cheng Tang
Summary: In this study, silane modified MXene and polybenzazole (F-MP) nanocomposite aerogels were prepared using sol-gel, freeze-dry, and thermal treatment methods. The nanocomposite aerogel showed low density, good surface hydrophobicity, flame retardancy, and thermal insulation performance. The optimized FMP aerogel exhibited low density, good surface hydrophobicity, and mechanical robustness. Additionally, it displayed reliable flame resistance and structural stability, and superior thermal insulation compared to traditional polymer foam materials. This work presents an innovative strategy for developing hydrophobic, flame retardant, and thermal insulating aerogel materials with promising applications.
COMPOSITES COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Chemistry, Physical
Lu An, Jason N. Armstrong, Yong Hu, Yulong Huang, Zheng Li, Donghui Zhao, Jesse Sokolow, Zipeng Guo, Chi Zhou, Shenqiang Ren
Summary: Flexible hierarchical superhydrophobic ceramic insulation nanocomposites were successfully fabricated through the densified architectured hierarchical nanostructures, radiative insulation coating, and interfacial cross-linking among composites. The lightweight ceramic nanocomposites exhibit high-temperature fire resistance, super-hydrophobicity, and mechanical robustness, offering potential applications in high-temperature thermal insulation under high mechanical loading conditions.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Jing Tian, Yi Yang, Tiantian Xue, Guojie Chao, Wei Fan, Tianxi Liu
Summary: In this study, an organic/inorganic composite aerogel with an integrated double network structure was reported. The composite aerogel exhibited excellent thermal insulation performance and fire resistance. It possessed outstanding compressibility and flexibility, even with a high inorganic content of 60%, and could withstand cyclic fatigue tests. The composite aerogel has great potential as an efficient building material to reduce the risk of collapse in reinforced concrete structures during fires.
JOURNAL OF MATERIALS SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Polymer Science
Lu Zhao, Junyong Chen, Defang Pan, Yan Hou
Summary: The use of energy-saving materials is an effective strategy for reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions. In this study, a wood/polyimide composite aerogel with a well-preserved hierarchical pore structure and dense hydrogen bonds was developed. The composite exhibited excellent fire retardancy, hydrophobicity, thermal insulation, and mechanical properties, making it promising for practical thermal insulation applications.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
So-young Yoon, Hyewon Song, Sun Hwan Jeong, Yunchul Kim, Jun Hyuk Heo, Jung Heon Lee
Summary: This study fabricates a synergistic TA/ATP/CNF aerogel with exceptional features such as ultralightness, hydrophobicity, lipophilicity, fire resistance, and high thermal insulation by utilizing the unique properties of tannic acid (TA) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) biomolecules. The aerogel outperforms other state-of-the-art aerogels and a computational algorithm using Python 3.6 is presented to analyze its highly porous structure. The study highlights the potential of using natural biomolecules to improve the properties of CNF aerogels.
ACS APPLIED POLYMER MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Wei Li, Zerong Li, Wei Wang, Zhenghao Li, Qian Li, Chengrong Qin, Feishu Cao
Summary: Hydrophobic bagasse aerogels were successfully prepared with a novel and green technique, featuring lower density, higher porosity, and better strength compared to pristine bagasse aerogels. The optimal aerogel with excellent oil absorption capacity and thermal insulation properties was obtained at specific AKD content and slurry consistency. The method provides a new idea for the fabrication of other biobased hydrophobic aerogels.
INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS
(2021)
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
Xiaolong Song, Renli Fu, Houbao Liu, Zeya Huang, Xinqing Su, Xuhai Liu
Summary: In this study, a new strategy to construct 3D superior hydrophobic nano-SiO2 porous thermal insulating material (TIM) was proposed by using an oil-in-water microemulsion treatment. The resulting polymethylhydrosiloxane-modified TIM exhibited a large water contact angle of 166 degrees and maintained low thermal conductivity. This research provides a great opportunity for the fabrication of advanced self-cleaning and heat insulating devices for harsh environments.
CERAMICS INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Article
Construction & Building Technology
Shaokun Ge, Ya Ni, Fubao Zhou, Chenyang Yang, Fengqi Guo, Jia Li, Bobo Shi
Summary: This paper proposes a fire protection method for suspension bridge cables using fiber felt/aerogel composites. Different thicknesses of thermal insulation composites were prepared and tested for their heat-shielding performance. The results showed that by using different thicknesses of the composites, the suspension bridge cables can be effectively protected from fire damage.
CONSTRUCTION AND BUILDING MATERIALS
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yueqi Wu, Xue Wang, Lihong Yao, Siyu Chang, Ximing Wang
Summary: Energy problems are becoming increasingly prominent, and the use of thermal insulation materials is an effective way to save energy. Nanocellulose aerogels, as efficient energy-saving materials, have broad application prospects. However, they have drawbacks such as poor mechanical properties, high flammability, and water absorption, which restrict their thermal insulation performance and application. This review analyzes the thermal insulation mechanism of nanocellulose aerogels and summarizes the methods of preparing them from biomass raw materials. In addition, it focuses on improving their mechanical properties, flame retardancy, and hydrophobicity to prepare high-performance thermal insulation materials in line with sustainable development, thereby promoting energy conservation and expanding the application of nanocellulose aerogels.
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Hang Xiao, Jiang-bo Lv, Wei Tan, Xian He, Meng-hao Chen, Ke Zeng, Jiang-huai Hu, Gang Yang
Summary: Aerogel has great potential in various applications, but current freeze-drying methods have limitations. This study proposes an ultrasound-assisted freeze-drying strategy to enhance freezing efficiency and control the pore structure of aerogel, leading to significant improvements in its performance.
CHEMICAL ENGINEERING JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Chao Liu, Chunqin Huang, Yu Li, Yuqian Liu, Huiyang Bian, Zhouyang Xiang, Huijie Wang, Hao Wang, Huining Xiao
Summary: Cellulose aerogels have shown promise as building energy conservation and insulation materials due to their biocompatibility and biodegradability. However, their inherent flammability has hindered their application. In this study, a thermal insulating, fire-retardant, strong, and lightweight aerogel was produced using cellulose nanofibril and (L)-glutamine functionalized boron nitride nanosheets. The aerogel exhibited outstanding mechanical strength and thermal insulating performance, and showed excellent fire-retardant and self-extinguishing capabilities.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL MACROMOLECULES
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Hongxia Pu, Xiaoliang Ding, Hui Chen, Rui Dai, Zhihua Shan
Summary: This study successfully developed a functional biobased aerogel derived from waste bamboo fibers and gelatin, which exhibited high porosity and excellent sound absorption performance, providing a new way for effectively treating bamboo and leather wastes.
ENVIRONMENTAL TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Satoru Takeshita, Takumi Ono
Summary: A new type of transparent aerogels with biopolymer-polysiloxane double networks is introduced. The drawbacks of strong hydrophilicity and difficulty in achieving homogeneous nanoscale structures in biopolymer aerogels are overcome by incorporating a polysiloxane network. The resulting alginate-polymethylsilsesquioxane aerogel exhibits high optical transparency, water repellency, superinsulation properties, and improved flexibility, making it a promising material for various applications.
ANGEWANDTE CHEMIE-INTERNATIONAL EDITION
(2023)
