An ultralight silica-modified ZrO2-SiO2 aerogel composite with ultra-low thermal conductivity and enhanced mechanical strength

A novel, ultralight, ZrO2-fiber-reinforced ZrO2-SiO2 aerogel composite with superior thermal and mechanical properties is fabricated via a rapid gelation method. Pure ZrO2-SiO2 aerogel is modified by silica to effectively strengthen its nanostructure. The results demonstrate that the fabricated fiber-reinforced aerogel composites with ZrO2-fiber contents ranging from 0 to 15 wt% exhibit ultra-low densities (0.16-033 g/cm(3)), low thermal conductivities (0.0235-0.0296 Wm(-1) K-1), and high compressive strengths (0.36-0.82 MPa). The present study provides an efficient method to prepare light aerogel composites with low thermal conductivity and high mechanical strength, which can be used as superior heat-insulators in aerospace applications. (C) 2017 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.