When to Use Aerogel Thermal Insulation？

When choosing the best insulation for your application, it is important to ensure that it closely fits the dimensions of the components it is meant to insulate to maximize coverage and insulate against heat loss.

It is equally critical to have a thorough understanding of the insulating material. The correct insulating material helps to ensure optimal equipment operation and protects personnel and sensitive equipment from dangerously hot surfaces and excessively hot air temperatures.

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At Firwin Corporation, we specialize in finding the best insulation materials and designs for your specialized equipment and unique applications. Our comprehensive selection of insulation materials ensures that we will find the perfect insulation solution for your needs. One of Firwin&#;s most versatile insulating materials is Aerogel, a porous, solid material with a high percentage of air and a variety of unique properties.

What is Aerogel?

Aerogel is a class of low-density solid gels in which the liquid has been replaced with air or gas. The structural framework of Aerogel is typically composed of silica, so silica aerogel is often referred to as simply &#;Aerogel.&#; However, other structural materials have been used to create aerogels, including:

• Carbon

• Iron oxide

• Organic polymers

• Copper

• Gold

Regardless of the material, the preponderance of air in an Aerogel&#;s structure gives it a nearly transparent appearance. The high gas content of Aerogels also gives them a variety of unique properties, including extremely low density, very low thermal conductivity, and very high porosity.

In insulation applications, Aerogel easily outperforms traditional fillers such as wool and fiberglass. In fact, Aerogel offers the same quality insulation with 1/3 the thickness of other insulating materials. However, Aerogel is expensive to manufacture and is rigid and brittle in its basic form, so it requires some supporting material. In addition, Aerogel withstands temperatures up to °F (593 °C), but is not suitable for extremely high-temperature applications that operate above that level.

Aerogel Insulation Benefits

Silica Aerogel is particularly useful for insulating applications and is one of the most effective insulators available. Although it is more expensive than other insulating materials, Aerogel makes up for its cost by the benefits it offers. Some of these include: 

• Achieving greater temperature reduction with less insulation volume.

• Thinner blankets mean easier installation and removal for maintenance and repairs, thereby reducing time and expenses. 

• When used as a thermal insulation material, Aerogel helps to enhance equipment energy efficiency, thereby reducing energy costs and emissions.

• Aerogel is especially valued for its extremely low thermal conductivity, which can be as low as 0.015 W m-1 K-1.

• Aerogel is extremely water repellent. Its hydrophobic nature allows Aerogel to protect insulating and operating components from moisture damage and corrosion. 

• Aerogel retains its shape in high-temperature settings and does not crack, clump, or sag like other insulating materials. It withstands vibration, impacts, and frequent traffic well, and can be reused after a thorough inspection.

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• Exceptional durability gives Aerogel a longer service life, which makes it an increasingly cost-effective option over time.

Aerogel Insulation Applications

Aerogel has been used as an insulating material for decades. Most notably, it has been used in NASA spacesuits for its exceptionally lightweight and durable nature. As manufacturing technology advances, Aerogel has become increasingly desirable in a broad range of insulating applications, including:

• High-temp.

  With its ability to insulate higher temperatures with a thinner layer, Aerogel is particularly useful for high-temperature applications.

• Limited space.

  Aerogel is ideal for compact environments where space is at a premium.

• Lightweight.

  The lightweight nature of Aerogel makes it perfect for use with extremely delicate and fragile components.

• Marine/high humidity. Aerogel&#;s hydrophobic characteristics make it useful in applications where moisture or water exposure can cause corrosion to underlying components.

Although Aerogel is typically more expensive than other insulating materials, its enhanced thermal insulating properties with thinner layers make it uniquely suited for confined spaces. In addition, its extremely lightweight characteristics make it ideal for use on light and breakable components that could be damaged by the weight of more traditional insulating materials. 

Firwin Corporation is pleased to offer a broad range of top quality insulation solutions that can be tailored to meet the particular needs of nearly any application. Our insulation products are found in myriad applications and industries, from industrial and manufacturing equipment to engines and exhaust systems. Download our eBook &#;Removable Insulation Blanket Materials &#; A Guide from A to Z&#; for more information on selecting the best insulation blankets and materials for your facility. 

Synthetically producing amorphous silica gel and then infusing it into a fabric creates what many buyers know as aerogel insulation according to one distributor&#;s website. Amorphous silica appears on state hazardous substance lists for California and New Jersey. According to the website TeachEngineering,org, Samuel Stephens Kistler invented aerogel in . Not unlike Kistler&#;s approach to inventing aerogel, some manufacturers today create aerogels by putting together a polymer and solvent, which forms a gel; they then remove the liquid and replace it with air. In some cases, manufacturers use silica, or silicon dioxide, with a solvent to make the gel, extract the fluid and insert carbon dioxide. Some aerogel manufacturers include titanium dioxide TiO2 as an ingredient, which the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies as a Group 2B carcinogen, possibly carcinogenic if inhaled.  A article from the Archives of Toxicology, titled &#;Health hazards due to the inhalation of amorphous silica,&#; notes &#;Inflammatory responses and emphysema have been described in a number of animal studies, especially in rats and monkeys.&#;

Some manufacturers of aerogels advocate for their use because they prevent heat transfer and are lightweight. For example, according to ExtremeTech, graphene aerogel is remarkably light, weighing about 160 grams per cubic meter.

According to InspectAPedia.com, the R-Value of aerogel is 10.3 per inch versus rigid fiberglass, which has an R-Value of 4 per inch. The R-Value, or resistance value, of insulation measures to what degree insulation resists the flow of heat through an insulation material. As the R-Value climbs from 0 it signifies that the insulation material is doing a better job of preventing heat transfer, and consequently it&#;s a more effective barrier.

AEROGEL AS INSULATION

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Some aerogel insulation makers also note the material has a low K-Factor, otherwise known as thermal conductivity. K-Factor is the rate at which heat flows through insulation material. Thermal conductivity as defined by ASTM Standard C168 is &#;the time rate of steady state heat flow through a unit area of a homogeneous material induced by a unit temperature gradient in a direction perpendicular to that unit area.&#; To simplify that, K-Factor is measuring the Btus of heat flowing through an inch-thick insulation material each hour across an area one foot by one foot for every degree of Fahrenheit change. Fiberglass has a K-Factor ranging from .22 to .30. By comparison, aerogels can have a K-Factor as low as .01.

Along with aerogel&#;s publicized benefits, there was a report in March by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in response to concerns from an insulators&#; union about exposure to aerogel from handling the material. According to the insulators, they received aerogel insulation on rolls and then moved it to cutting rooms where students practiced measuring, cutting, and wrapping it. The department&#;s investigators visited the employer&#;s location in Illinois to analyze airborne exposure and air samples at a training facility where workers were being taught to work with aerogel insulation. What the HHS says it found was &#;Airborne exposures for amorphous silica approached calculated occupational exposure limits. Most aerogel particles were respirable in size. Many interviewed participants attributed respiratory irritation and very dry skin to handling aerogel insulation. We recommended continued use of personal protective equipment per manufacturer&#;s safety data sheets to minimize reported health effects.&#; That said, due to the limited scope of this analysis (i.e., one sample from one instructor providing aerogel instruction), the HHS report states its &#;results may not be generalizable to other workplace settings.&#; However, the report also states that employers should &#;educate staff and students about potential upper respiratory tract irritation and drying effects from prolonged exposure to aerogel insulation.&#;

[1] Right to Know Hazardous Substance List, New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, CAS -00-8

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