Silica aerogels: from materials research to industrial applications

ABSTRACT

Silica aerogels are advanced materials with outstanding properties, including high specific surface area and porosity, low thermal conductivity, density, dielectric constant, and refractive index. However, the excellent properties of silica aerogels have shown limited utility in industrial applications, primarily as thermal insulation materials, where they hold only a small (1.1–2.6%) market share. The emergence of clean energy technologies stimulated renewed interest in silica and other aerogels. Here the recent advances in the production and applications of silica aerogels are summarized, and the current challenges and future development opportunities are discussed. The conventional and emerging syntheses and characterization methods of silica aerogels are introduced, followed by a discussion on thermophysical properties and potential applications. The fabrication processes of silica aerogels are analysed at different industry development stages. Recent advances in aerogels research are considered, highlighting the obstacles and possible solutions for the successful translation and industry uptake and focusing on the emerging applications in electric vehicles and building insulation.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

KEYWORDS:

• Silica aerogel
• structure-properties-performance
• synthesis methods
• commercial applications
• industry development

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (51904117), the Jiangsu Postdoctoral Research Foundation (2021K175B), and the Major Scientific and Technological Achievements Transformation and Industrialization Plan of Changzhou (20200597). The authors also acknowledge the Central Laboratory at the School of Chemical and Material Engineering at Jiangnan University for the instruments’ test data. K. O. thanks the Australian Research Council (ARC) and QUT Centre for Materials Science for partial support.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Jiangsu Postdoctoral Research Foundation [grant number 2021K175B]; Major Scientific and Technological Achievements Transformation and Industrialization Plan of Changzhou [grant number 20200597]; Natural Science Foundation of China [grant number 51904117].