High-performance thermal insulator based on polymer foam and silica xerogel

In this work, methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) was used as a precursor, n-hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) as a surfactant, and EtOH/H2O as a co-solvent, while 10 mM HCl and urea were used as acid and base catalysts to prepare silica xerogels and xerogel inside the cells of a polyethylene (PE) foam via a sol-gel process combined with ambient pressure drying. The xerogels and PE-silica xerogel foams were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller method (BET), and thermal conductivity. The results indicate that the xerogels have a three-dimensional nanoporous structure, and the specific surface areas of the SiO2 xerogel and PE-xerogel foam are 536 and 377 m(2)/g, respectively. The PE-xerogel foam exhibited very low thermal conductivity (22-24 mW/m.K) compared with conventional insulation materials on the market (30-50 mW/m.K). The thermal insulation properties of PE-silica xerogels were increased by 45% and 49% compared with neat PE foam. Additionally, the compressive modulus and density of the PE-xerogel foam was increased by the presence of the silica xerogel. These PE-xerogel foams are believed to be excellent candidates for thermal insulation applications in terms of cost/performance.

Automated summary

In this study, silica xerogels and PE-silica xerogel foams were successfully prepared using various precursors, surfactants, and solvents, showing excellent thermal insulation properties compared to conventional insulation materials. The presence of silica xerogel led to improved compressive modulus and density of the PE foam, making them promising candidates for cost-effective thermal insulation applications.