Progress in silica aerogel-containing materials for buildings' thermal insulation

Silica aerogels hold remarkable properties, particularly their translucence/transparency and extremely low thermal conductivity and density, for buildings thermal insulation purpose. Incorporated in compos-ites or framing systems, they reduce the overall weight of the building envelope while increasing its ther-mal resistance, being especially valuable for energy-efficient retrofitting solutions, spanning from covering facades to window panes. This review presents the production process of silica aerogels in brief, their relevant properties regarding building's needs, and a full survey of last years' scientific achieve-ments on silica aerogel-containing materials for buildings, such as panels, blankets, cement, mortars, con-crete, glazing systems, solar collector covers, among others. (c) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Silica aerogels exhibit remarkable properties such as transparency, low thermal conductivity, and density, making them suitable for thermal insulation in buildings. Incorporating them into composite materials or framing systems can reduce the overall weight of buildings while improving thermal resistance.