Abstract
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±1.0mWm-1K-1 for the pilot scale materials, about half that of standing air (26mWm-1K-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.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 4753-4756 |
Journal | Angewandte Chemie: International Edition |
Volume | 56 |
Issue number | 17 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 18 Apr 2017 |
MoE publication type | A1 Journal article-refereed |
Keywords
- life-cycle assessment
- production technology
- silica aerogels
- solvents
- thermal insulation