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Fast and Minimal‐Solvent Production of Superinsulating Silica Aerogel Granulate
Author(s) -
Huber Lukas,
Zhao Shanyu,
Malfait Wim J.,
Vares Sirje,
Koebel Matthias M.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
angewandte chemie international edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.831
H-Index - 550
eISSN - 1521-3773
pISSN - 1433-7851
DOI - 10.1002/anie.201700836
Subject(s) - aerogel , solvent , materials science , chemical engineering , thermal insulation , carbon fibers , production (economics) , waste management , nanotechnology , composite material , chemistry , organic chemistry , layer (electronics) , engineering , composite number , economics , macroeconomics
With their low thermal conductivity ( λ ), silica aerogels can reduce carbon emissions from heating and cooling demands, but their widespread adoption is limited by the high production cost. A one‐pot synthesis for silica aerogel granulate is presented that drastically reduces solvent use, production time, and global warming potential. The inclusion of the hydrophobization agent prior to gelation with a post‐gelation activation step, enables a complete production cycle of less than four hours at the lab scale for a solvent use close to the theoretical minimum, and limits the global warming potential. Importantly, the one‐pot aerogel granulate retains the exceptional properties associated with silica aerogel, mostly λ =14.4±1.0 mW m −1 ⋅K −1 for the pilot scale materials, about half that of standing air (26 mW m −1 ⋅K −1 ). The resource‐, time‐, and cost‐effective production will allow silica aerogels to break out of its niche into the mainstream building and industrial insulation markets.