Preparation of Flexible and Light Thermal Insulating Ceramic Composites Using Foaming Technology

A new concept of an inorganic foaming process at low temperature was demonstrated for the production of inorganic thermal insulating materials with the properties of flexible light-weight, the advantages of organic-based thermal insulation material. The foaming process was proceeded by establishing a skeleton of the foam body by using inorganic fibrous sepiolite and aluminum silicate. A cavity was formed by the expansion of fibrous skeleton body, by the gas which was generated from foaming agent at low temperature. Then the multi-vesicular expanded perlite with low thermal conductivity was filled into the cavity in a skeleton of the foam body. Finally through these overall process, a new inorganic foamed body could be obtained at low temperature without the hot melting of inorganic materials. In order to achieve this object, various preparations such as fibrous sepiolite fibrillation process, heat treatment process of the fibrous slurry were needed, and the optimal compositional condition of slurry was required. The foam body produced showed the properties of flexible light-weight thermal insulation materials such as bulk density, yield strength, flexural strength, and high heat resistance.