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What is Aerogel? - P890J - 09-29-2021
What is Aerogel?
What is Aerogel?
Aerogel is a broad term used to talk about an extraordinary group of materials that have been used since the 1960s in space travel, but are now finding uses across a whole range of industries. ‘Aerogel’ is not a specific mineral or material with a set chemical formula-rather, the term is used to encompass all materials with a specific geometrical structure. This structure is an extremely porous, solid foam, with high connectivity between branched structures of a few nanometres across.
Though aerogel is technically a foam, it can take many different shapes and forms. The majority of aerogel is composed of silica, but carbon, iron oxide, organic polymers, semiconductor nanostructures, gold and copper can also form aerogel. However, within the aerogel structure, very little is solid material, with up to 99.8% of the structure consisting of nothing but air. This unique composition gives aerogel an almost ghostly appearance; hence it is often referred to as ‘frozen smoke’.
Applications of Aerogel
As aerogel has such diverse chemical and physical properties, it is no surprise that it also has a wide range of applications. Since the 1960’s, aerogel has been used as the insulating material in spacesuits of NASA astronauts as, despite its wispy appearance, it is extremely strong and can survive take-off conditions easily.
In the early 21st century, aerogel was employed in a very special role by NASA- to capture space dust. Aerogel is being used in conjunction with the ‘Stardust’ mission, which aims to bring back particles from space from beyond the Moon for the first time. This dust is being primarily collected from the comet ‘Wild 2’. Aerogel is being used to capture this comet dust, as it will be able to trap the small particles without physically altering them. When the particle hits the aerogel, it will be traveling at speeds of up to 6 times that of a rifle bullet, which means most substances would not be able to slow the dust down without heating and thus alteration taking place. With aerogel, however, the dust buries itself into the porous material and is gradually brought to a stop as it loses momentum.
ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE
Silica Aerogel Insulation Blanket are the least dense solid in the world today. Pyrogel Aerogel insulation blanket have low thermal conductivity, high temperature resistance, flame retardancy, low density, and also have certain waterproof effect.
Silica aerogel insulation blanket is the best thermal insulation blanket material so far, its pore size is lower than the atmospheric pressure under normal pressure, so the air molecules in aerogel gap are in a static state, thus avoiding the convection heat transfer of the air. The very low volume density of the Silica Aerogel Insulation and the bending path of the nanoscale structure also prevent the gas and solid heat conduction, and the “infinitely many” void walls can minimize the thermal radiation. Together, these three functions almost blocked all the ways of heat transfer, which is the adiabatic effect of aerogels to other materials.
1st advantage is Excellent heat insulation effect
The heat insulation effect of Silica Aerogel Insulation Felt is 2-5 times that of traditional insulation material, and the theoretical lifetime measured by Arrhenius experiment is 20 years. It’s almost the same life as the building.
2, reduce the thickness of insulation layer
The aerogel felt has the same thermal insulation effect and the thickness is only a fraction of the traditional material. After heat preservation, the heat loss is small and the utilization rate of space is high. And at high temperatures, the above performance advantages are more obvious.
3, hydrophobicity and fire resistance
Aerogel blanket water repellent, which can effectively prevent moisture from entering pipes and equipment. At the same time, it has the fireproof performance of the building A1, and the three-dimensional network structure of the aerogel avoids the heat insulation effect of other thermal insulation materials in the long-term high temperature use, such as sinter deformation, settlement and so on.
4. Convenient construction
The aerogel blanket is light, easy to cut and sewn to adapt to various forms of pipes and equipment for thermal insulation, and the installation time and manpower are less.
5, save transportation cost
Aerogels can be used in an environment of -200~650 degrees Celsius, but it is usually used in aerogel insulation blanket. Based on the fiber’s fire resistance temperature, in principle we will control the temperature of 200 degrees Celsius. The hot melt adhesive used for aluminum foil or cloth and insulation blanket will not melt and ensure normal use. Of course, we keep insulation on the exterior wall. Aerogel insulation will also be done when other fixed, plate, screw and so on will be used.
There will be other conditions in the aerogel insulation blanket in practical applications, but the effectiveness will always come in and out of the ideal, but Gallic aerogel insulation blanket for all users, designed in all aspects, such as the hydrophilic and hydrophobicity of aerogel insulation blanket, can be done.
Uses of Fiberglass Fabrics
When it comes to composite construction or boat building, many people turn to fiberglass fabrics to get the job done right. Whether used for reinforcement, coating or laminating, professionals and DIY enthusiasts all over the world are quickly recognizing the benefits of this versatile composite. If you are new to composite materials or considering using fiberglass for a project, you came to the perfect place. In this guide, we will explore the properties and uses of fiberglass fabrics to help you better understand this convenient and cost-effective material.
[[image1,left/right]]Fundamentals of Fiberglass Fabric
With so many composites to choose from, understanding what each textile is and means for your project can be difficult or even daunting. Fortunately, the composite experts are here to help. Fiberglass cloth consists of bulk, chopped fibers or continuous strands of different kinds of glass. Whether in bulk form or a continuous strand, the combined physical strength of those glass fibers exceeds the properties that each of them has individually. This fiber-reinforced composite is typically flattened into sheets or randomly arranged and woven into fabrics for use in all sorts of applications. Fiberglass fabric is lightweight, strong, and less brittle than other composite materials. One of the most prized properties of fiberglass is its ability to be molded into various complicated shapes.
Applications and Uses of Fiberglass Fabrics
Across a wide range of industries, professionals look for materials with high-temperature insulation to ensure an effective thermal barrier for industrial gaskets. Because fiberglass offers high thermal insulation, it has become a prized and preferred material for protecting machinery. In our research, we discovered all sorts of ways this material is used!
Production of NBR
At first, we have the raw material. The raw material is yellow. After the manufacturing process, the material can be orange or red-tinted. At the end of the procedure, we have hot NBR Foam!
The hot NBR rubber has radical generating activators & added catalyst to polymerization vessels.
There is no major difference between the production of hot NBR & cold NBR. In fact, the cold NBR or hot NBR Foam is distinguishable with the number of branches.
In the procedure of monomer recovery, the unwanted solids were removed by latex which is sent through numbers of filters where it stabilized with “antioxidant”.
You can understand the difference between NBR rubber & any other kind of foam-like EVA Foam immediately.
In fact, when you get a piece of NBR foam from suppliers, you will find out the difference between the NBR foam & any other kind of foams like EVA foam , etc.
After the production of PVC Nitrile, we have a very smooth & soft outer skin on both sides.
This surface has a resilient touch and good flexibility. You can even use this resilient surface for some applications like yoga.
The cells of the foam are clear on the surface sheets.
The final product of NBR is a black piece of foam. You can also work with cutting & fabrication machinery like foam lamination (PSA) & Die-Cutting system.
In the whole procedure of NBR production, you will be able to transform the NBR to different kinds of foam products like gaskets, mats, tapes & seals.
The “Hong Kong Foam” company can produce customized products according to customer requirements.
The NBR has opened cell structure & closed cell structure that the closed cell is more popular & more efficient for producing the different kind of foams.
Mineral Wool Production
To make mineral wool insulation, basalt and industrial slag are melted in a 3,000° F furnace. (Slag is a by-product of steel production that usually ends up in landfills.) Next, the super-heated liquid is exposed to a high-pressure stream of air and then spun into long fiber strands. The strands are compressed into thick, dense mats and then cut into batts of insulation.
Now that you have a basic understanding of fiberglass and mineral wool, let’s take a look at the differences between these two popular types of insulation.
Fiberglass vs. Mineral Wool: How They Stack Up
R-Value: The thermal resistance of insulation is measured by what’s commonly known as the R-value, and the higher the R-value, the better. Fiberglass has an R-value of approximately 2.2 to 2.7 per inch of thickness. Mineral wool has a slightly higher R-value, ranging between 3.0 and 3.3 per inch.
Size: Fiberglass insulation is available in a wider range of sizes and types than mineral wool. Mineral wool insulation is typically only available in unfaced batts.
Sustainability: Mineral wool is composed of 70 percent or more recycled content. Fiberglass insulation typically contains 20 to 30 percent recycled content.
Cost: Fiberglass insulation costs 25 to 50 percent less than mineral wool. Fiberglass insulation for a 2×6 wall costs between 57 cents and 72 cents per square foot. Mineral wool insulation for the same wall runs about $1 to $1.10 per square foot.
Density: Mineral wool insulation has superior sound-deadening properties. It has a density of 1.7 pounds per cubic foot, as compared to 0.5 to 1.0 for fiberglass. Because of its density, mineral wool is hard to compress. Fiberglass, on the other hand, will lose some of its insulating value if it’s compressed too tightly.
Weight: Fiberglass is lightweight and easy to carry, but the batts are rather limp and can be challenging to set into place. Mineral wool is heavier than fiberglass, but the batts are also stiffer, so they don’t bend or flop over as easily.
Water Resistance: Mineral wool insulation is hydrophobic, meaning it’s highly resistant to moisture and water. Since it doesn’t absorb moisture, mineral wool doesn’t promote rot, corrosion, fungi, mold, mildew or bacterial growth. If fiberglass insulation gets wet, it becomes soggy, and its insulating value drops significantly.
Loose-Fill: Loose-fill fiberglass insulation provides a quick, easy and economical way to insulate attic floors and wall cavities. Loose-fill mineral wool does exist, but it’s difficult to find.
Installation: Mineral wool comes in dense, firm batts that are friction-fit into place; no stapling required. Fiberglass batts must be secured with staples or wire. To cut fiberglass insulation, compress it flat with a board or metal straightedge, then slice it with a utility knife. Use a serrated bread knife or woodcutting handsaw to cut mineral wool insulation. It’s recommended that you wear a dust mask when cutting and handling any type of insulation, including fiberglass and mineral wool.
Fire Resistance: Mineral wool is extremely fire resistant and can be used as a firestop. Fiberglass insulation is noncombustible, but not nearly as fire resistant as mineral wool.
Glass wool is a kind of fibrous material made from the melted glass raw materials or cullet. It consists of two types: loose wool and superfine wool. The fiber of the loose wool is 50 ~ 150 mm in length and 12 × 10- 3 mm in diameter. By contrast, the fiber of the superfine wool is much thinner in diameter, normally under 4 × 10- 3 mm. And it is also called superfine glass wool.
The loose wool can be used to make glass wool blanket and glass wool board. The superfine glass wool can be used to make common superfine glass blanket, glass wool board, alkali free superfine glass blanket, hyperoxic silica superfine glass blanket, and it is also used to preserve heat in the exterior-protected construction and the pipelines.