Silica Aerogels and their Applications in Textile Industry

Abstract

The coating of various textiles, including 3D weft-knitted spacer fabrics (92% polyester -8% spandex), polyester, and cotton, is presently seen to be a great use for silica aerogels (SA). They may impart and improve various attributes to the aforementioned fabrics thanks to their exquisite porous structure, large surface area, and superior permeability. They are primarily created from three different types of precursors, namely water glass (Sodium silicate), alkoxysilanes, and orthosilicates, to produce silica, which has the chemical formula O-Si-O. They follow a conventional sol-gel manufacturing process, going through three stages: gelation, aging, and drying. They are coated onto cloth and give self-cleaning, superamphiphobicity, chemical protection, thermal insulation, and thermal comfort qualities.