Aerogels for Thermal Protection and Their Application in Aerospace

Abstract

With the continuous development of the world’s aerospace industry, countries have put forward higher requirements for thermal protection materials for aerospace vehicles. As a nano porous material with ultra-low thermal conductivity, aerogel has attracted more and more attention in the thermal insulation application of aerospace vehicles. At present, the summary of aerogel used in aerospace thermal protection applications is not comprehensive. Therefore, this paper summarizes the research status of various types of aerogels for thermal protection (oxide aerogels, organic aerogels, etc.), summarizes the hot issues in the current research of various types of aerogels for thermal protection, and puts forward suggestions for the future development of various aerogels. For oxide aerogels, it is necessary to further increase their use temperature and inhibit the sintering of high-temperature resistant components. For organic aerogels, it is necessary to focus on improving the anti-ablation, thermal insulation, and mechanical properties in long-term aerobic high-temperature environments, and on this basis, find cheap raw materials to reduce costs. For carbon aerogels, it is necessary to further explore the balanced relationship between oxidation resistance, mechanics, and thermal insulation properties of materials. The purpose of this paper is to provide a reference for the further development of more efficient and reliable aerogel materials for aerospace applications in the future.

Smart Materials Finishing and Insulation Solutions applied to the Interior Design of a Cruise Ship Cabin

“…Various materials have been implemented, with silica being the most commonly used (Pierre, Anderson, 2011). Historically, aerogels production has been relatively costly, constraining its usage to advanced aerospace operations (Jin et al, 2023). However, as manufacturing expenses decline, they are finding their way into a wider array of applications, including their incorporation into composite materials such as laminated glazing for thermal insulation or integration into blankets for heat protection and acoustic absorption.…”

Lightweight polybenzoxazole aerogels with high compressive strength, ultralow dielectric constants, and excellent thermal stability

“…Aerogels are mainly used as thermal protection materials for spacecraft, materials for preventing the impact and vibration of spacecraft during high-speed flight, and structural materials for manufacturing light aerospace spacecraft. [1][2][3][4] Although silica aerogels have excellent thermal insulation properties, their application is severely restricted by their poor mechanical properties and cumbersome drying process. [5][6][7] Therefore, polymer aerogels have garnered increasing attention because they have better mechanical properties, processability, and density than inorganic aerogels.…”

“…Thus, researchers are significantly interested in developing high-thermostable aerogels using high-thermostable polymers. 3 These polymers include polyimide (PI) 12,13 and polyether ether ketone. 14,15 In July 2015, Blueshift, an international materials company, announced the launch of Aerozero (TM), a first-generation PI aerogel material.…”

Silicon Hybrid EPDM Composite with High Thermal Protection Performance

“…Silica aerogel has nano-scale particles, pore size, low density, large open pores, high specific surface area, and low thermal conductivity [ 14 ]. Aerogel, includes oxide aerogels, carbon aerogels, and organic aerogels, and thermal barrier coatings were applied to aerospace thermal protection; thermal conductivity is an important property [ 15 , 16 ]. Additionally, the thermal runaway of a lithium ion battery in an extreme fire condition required protection, and the burn-through test is a necessary test for investigating the insulation of materials [ 17 ].…”