Development of Nanoporous Aerogel-Based Thermal Insulation Products:'Make in India' Initiative

Abstract

The technology of manufacturing a silica aerogel thermal insulation product has been developed with the objective of indigenization under the 'Make in India' initiative. This world class product is now ready for commercial production. It possesses all the features and properties required for any ideal industrial thermal insulation material such as low thermal conductivity, light weight, good compressive strength, moisture, fire, corrosion and chemical resistance, antifungal, low shrinkage, sound-proof, non-toxic and ecofriendly. The increasingly gaining attention towards this highly efficient thermal insulation material is a hope to significantly contribute in achieving targets of energy conservation and saving.

Cost-Effective Preparation of Hydrophobic and Thermal-Insulating Silica Aerogels

“…Currently, global aerogel manufacturers predominantly utilize tetraethoxysilane, known for its stable reaction process, as the silicon source. They then subject it to a series of processing steps, including sols, glass-fiber composites, gels, aging, hydrophobic modifications, solvent replacements, and supercritical drying, to produce silica aerogel composite glass-fiber mats [ 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 ]. While the aerogel insulations produced by these processes have secured their positions in the global market, they remain costly, preventing their widespread adoption in price-sensitive sectors such as construction [ 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 ].…”