Aerogel-based thermal insulation

Commercial development of aerogel granules, produced via ambient pressure processing, for advanced thermal insulation is discussed. By employing modeling and experimental verification, the thermal performance of granule compacts was studied. The application of a novel approach for surface modifying carbon black to the problem of adding opacifiers to silica aerogels is shown and improved thermal and mechanical properties were obtained. When opacified granules are produced with the correct density/strength, the application of a 1 bar load (as is naturally applied in vacuum panels) results in deformation/rearrangement such that a packing fraction approaching one is achieved. The thermal performance of these granule compacts, at ambient pressure and vacuum, is similar to that of aerogel monoliths without the cost and processing problems of monoliths. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.