Experimental study on the micro-structure and cryogenic insulation performance of the novel micro-fiberglass wool blanket

Abstract

The novel micro-fiberglass wool blanket is a new type of cryogenic insulation material, commonly used as thermal protection systems and applied in the annular space of cryogenic equipment. This study used scanning electron microscopy and mercury intrusion porosimetry to explore its fiber morphology and pore structure for better understanding the micro-structure of the novel micro-fiberglass wool blanket, and measured its insulation performance under the high vacuum and extremely low temperature conditions using the static liquid-nitrogen boil-off calorimetry. The conclusions are drawn: The diameter of the fibers was mostly distributed within the range of 5.8-8.6 μm, with an average fiber diameter of 7.91 μm; The blanket has a porosity of 92.28%, an average pore diameter (4V/A) of 40.64 μm; In high vacuum conditions of 10-4 Pa and at boundary temperatures of the liquid nitrogen, the apparent thermal conductivity was determined to be 8.198×10-4 W/(m·K) with a heat flux of 11.195 W/m2 , demonstrating good insulation performance. This study provides significant reference value for a deeper understanding of the novel micro-fiberglass wool blanket and its applications in cryogenic equipment.