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. 2021 Dec 30;15(1):265.
doi: 10.3390/ma15010265.

Hybrid RF-Si Xerogels: A Cost-Effective Proposal for Insulator Materials

Samantha L Flores-López  1 , Sara F Villanueva  1 , Natalia Rey-Raap  2 , Ana Arenillas  1
Affiliations

Hybrid RF-Si Xerogels: A Cost-Effective Proposal for Insulator Materials

Samantha L Flores-López et al. Materials (Basel). .

Abstract

Hybrid xerogels RF/Si were synthesized by controlling the chemical variables involved in the polymerization process (i.e., molar ratios, dilution ratio, catalysts, etc.) and evaluated as insulator materials. Higher insulating performances were recorded for these hybrids compared with their counterparts made from only one of their components (i.e., RF or Si xerogels with similar porous characteristics). The analysis of chemical and structural features correlated with heat transfer methods was useful in understanding the sum of contributions involved in the thermal conductivity of RF/Si xerogels. Variables such as roughness and tortuosity can be used to improve the performance of xerogels from a different perspective. In this way, thermal conductivities of 25 mW/mK were achieved without lengthy process steps or special drying methods. Knowledge of material design and the use of microwave heating during the synthesis allowed us to approach a simple and cost-effective process. These results suggest that the hybrid materials developed in this work are a good starting point for the future of the massive production of insulation materials.

Keywords: cost-effective process; hybrid xerogels; microwave heating; thermal insulation.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Configuration of the system for thermal conductivity measurements.
Figure 2
Figure 2
FT-IR spectra of selected xerogels with different composition: (a) RF-0.55, (b) RF/Si-0.55, (c) RF/Si-0.50–70% and (d) Si-0.50.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Porosity (a), thermal conductivity (b) and contribution of radiation (c) of xerogels with different Si content and similar envelope density (0.50 g/cm3).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Thermal conductivity of hybrid xerogels versus envelope density measured at two different particle sizes (numerical values can be found in the Supplementary Materials, Table S3).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Contribution to the total thermal conductivity of two of the main heat transfer methods: gas conductivity (a) and solid conductivity (b).
Figure 6
Figure 6
SEM micrographs of the different synthesized xerogels: (a) RF-0.55, (b) RF/Si-0.55, (c) Si-0.50 and (d) RF/Si-0.50–70%.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Comparison of insulation performance of the hybrid materials developed in this work, with hybrids, RF and Si gels from other references.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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