PVA/nanoclay/graphene oxide aerogels with enhanced sound absorption properties

Aerogels based on a ternary system of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), nanoclay and thermally reduced graphene oxide (trGO) have been synthesised at pilot plant scale using an environmentally friendly freeze-drying method. In the present work, the influence of the trGO addition on the physical, thermal and acoustic properties of the resulted aerogels has been evaluated. The trGO incorporation into the PVA/nanoclay matrix resulted in pore diameter decrease. In addition, trGO addition allowed to improve thermal stability of the aerogels. On the other hand, the introduction of the trGO resulted in improvements of the sound absorption coefficient of the aerogels. This process opens new opportunities to produce materials with exceptional properties as thermal insulators (resulting values of the thermal conductivities ranging from 0.0255 to 0.0289 W/m.K) with enhanced sound absorption properties. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.