Citation

Xu L, Zhu W, Chen Z, Su D. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2023; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, American Chemical Society)

DOI

10.1021/acsami.3c08689

PMID

37672731

Abstract

Polymer-reinforced SiO(2) aerogel materials exhibit excellent thermal insulation, flame resistance, and mechanical properties; however, the poor thermal stability of organic components limits their application in high-temperature environments. Herein, a double-network MK/SiO(2) aerogel was synthesized by direct copolymerization of a methyl-containing silicone resin (MK) and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) under the cross-coupling of (3-aminopropyl) triethoxysilane (APTES) followed by an atmospheric drying method. The resulting MK/SiO(2) aerogel, presenting a double-cross-linked MK and SiO(2) network, shows a low density of 0.18 g/cm(3), a high specific surface area of 716.6 m(2)/g, and a low thermal conductivity of 0.030 W/(m K). Especifically, the compressive strength of the MK/SiO(2) aerogel (up to 3.24 MPa) is an order of magnitude higher than that of the pristine SiO(2) aerogel (0.39 MPa) due to the introduction of the strong MK network and enhanced neck connections of SiO(2) nanoparticles. Furthermore, the mutually supportive network endows the MK/SiO(2) aerogels with significant resistance to ablation and oxidation up to 1000 °C, showing a high residual rate (89%), a high specific surface area (235.2 m(2)/g), and structural stability after thermal treatment under air atmosphere. These superior mechanical and thermal properties of the MK/SiO(2) aerogels lead to attractive practical applications in energy transportation, thermal insulation, or aviation.

Language: en

Keywords

atmospheric pressure drying; double network; MK resin; silica aerogel; thermal insulation