Low-cost and fast synthesis of nanoporous silica cryogels for thermal insulation applications |
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| Authors: | Li Fen Su Lei Miao Sakae Tanemura Gang Xu |
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| Affiliation: | 1.Key Laboratory of Renewable Energy and Gas Hydrate, Guangzhou Institute of Energy Conversion, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China;2.Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China;3.Materials R&D Laboratory, Japan Fine Ceramics Centre, 2-4-1 Mutsuno, Atsuta-ku, Nagoya 456–8587, Japan |
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| Abstract: | Nanoporous silica cryogels with a high specific surface area of 1095 m2 g−1 were fabricated using tert-butyl alcohol as a reaction solvent, via a cost-effective sol–gel process followed by vacuum freeze drying. The total time of cryogel production was reduced markedly to one day. The molar ratio of solvent/precursor, which was varied from 5 to 13, significantly affected the porous structure and thermal insulating properties of the cryogels. The silica cryogels with low densities in the range of 0.08–0.18 g cm−3 and thermal conductivities as low as 6.7 mW (m·K)−1 at 100 Pa and 28.3 mW (m·K)−1 at 105 Pa were obtained using this new technique. |
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| Keywords: | 10 1 20 11 |
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