Uploaded May 2014 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago
Aerogel as a Thermal Insulator
Brooke Adams
Hyoeun Kim
Oscar Sandoval
Scott Weiss
Our chosen technical challenge is the loss of energy due to poor insulators in building infrastructure. The problem with the insulators of today's buildings is that they are composed of materials that are not energy efficient in the long run. For starters, a typically large amount of material is needed for the insulators to even accomplish their task, compromising space in the building that is not necessary for its construction. Today's insulators also tend to be brittle, calling out for maintenance fees that make the tenure of the material to be expensive as well. Should a thermal insulator be inefficient in its duty, the more energy is needed for a building to stay warm or cold during the extreme seasonal temperatures occurring throughout the year. Energy unnecessarily spent compromises the source of where it is obtained from, depleting the already stretched energy sources demanded by humans worldwide.
Our chosen material will address many of these dilemmas in a unique and efficient way. Our chosen solution for the problem of insulation is the use of a green material named Aerogel. Aerogel is amazing for addressing thermal insulation because its composition almost nullifies almost all methods of heat transfer (convection, conduction, and radiation). This is due to the fact that the material is composed of 99.98% air, which is a terrible thermal conductor due to its properties as a gas. Aerogel also has other incredible properties such as being 500 times the strength of its counterpart silica aerogel. This could be because aerogel has certain polymers that support the silica chains within it, such as polyimide, along with interchain linking (networking). Aerogels are also extremely thin, hydrophobic, breathable, and fireproof, adding more properties that make it a desirable thermal insulator. The processing of aerogels is very costly, however, leading to expensive pricing for its acquisition. Although its cost may be exorbitant, aerogels' astounding properties grants it much potential as a green building material in thermal insulation.
Works Cited:
[ RT ISOLAZIONI - Soluzioni termoisolanti in Aerogel ] - Tecnologia Aerogel. (n.d.). Retrieved April 27, 2014, from rtisolazioni.com/technology.php
Berge, A., & Johansson, P. (2012). Literature Review of High Performance Thermal Insulation (2). Retrieved from Chalmers University of Technology website: http://publications.lib.chalmers.se/records/fulltext/local_159807.pdf
Fricke, J., & Tillotson, T. (1997). Aerogels: production, characterization, and applications. Thin Solid Films, 297(1-2), 212-223. doi:10.1016/S0040-6090(96)09441-2
The Frontier - Aerogels: Their History, Structure, and Applications. (n.d.). Retrieved April 27, 2014, from geobeck.tripod.com/frontier/aerogels.html#link
Gromicko, N. (n.d.). Aerogel - Int'l Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI). Retrieved April 27, 2014, from nachi.org/aerogel.htm
Hartmann, J., Rubin, M., & Arasteh, D. (1987). Thermal and Solar-optical Properties of Silica Aerogel for Use in Insulated Windows. Retrieved from U.S. Department of Energy website: eande.lbl.gov/sites/all/files/publications/23386.pdf
What Makes Polymers Different? (n.d.). Retrieved April 27, 2014, from pslc.ws/macrog/kidsmac/differnt.htm
Media:
youtube.com/watch?v=_w0uQLHrVw0
youtube.com/watch?v=E-xhxS581Uc
youtube.com/watch?v=8E-MtJBAZvw
youtube.com/watch?v=ZDe6GNCilV4
sweetclipart.com/hourglass-design-873
thermablok.com/images/flame-heat-resisant-thermablok-face.jpg
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/Aerogelbrick.jpg
mycrazytown.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/aerogel.jpg
mynameisnotomlette.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/shattered-glass.jpg
pamelanorris.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/aerogel-process2.jpg
supercriticalfluids.blogspot.com/2012/01/supercritical-fluids-in-2012.html
pamelanorris.wordpress.com/research/aerogel-lab
http://faculty.uscupstate.edu/llever/Polymer%20Resources/Crystalline.htm
llnl.gov/str/Foxhighlight.html
Aerogel as a Thermal Insulator
Brooke Adams
Hyoeun Kim
Oscar Sandoval
Scott Weiss
Our chosen technical challenge is the loss of energy due to poor insulators in building infrastructure. The problem with the insulators of today's buildings is that they are composed of materials that are not energy efficient in the long run. For starters, a typically large amount of material is needed for the insulators to even accomplish their task, compromising space in the building that is not necessary for its construction. Today's insulators also tend to be brittle, calling out for maintenance fees that make the tenure of the material to be expensive as well. Should a thermal insulator be inefficient in its duty, the more energy is needed for a building to stay warm or cold during the extreme seasonal temperatures occurring throughout the year. Energy unnecessarily spent compromises the source of where it is obtained from, depleting the already stretched energy sources demanded by humans worldwide.
Our chosen material will address many of these dilemmas in a unique and efficient way. Our chosen solution for the problem of insulation is the use of a green material named Aerogel. Aerogel is amazing for addressing thermal insulation because its composition almost nullifies almost all methods of heat transfer (convection, conduction, and radiation). This is due to the fact that the material is composed of 99.98% air, which is a terrible thermal conductor due to its properties as a gas. Aerogel also has other incredible properties such as being 500 times the strength of its counterpart silica aerogel. This could be because aerogel has certain polymers that support the silica chains within it, such as polyimide, along with interchain linking (networking). Aerogels are also extremely thin, hydrophobic, breathable, and fireproof, adding more properties that make it a desirable thermal insulator. The processing of aerogels is very costly, however, leading to expensive pricing for its acquisition. Although its cost may be exorbitant, aerogels' astounding properties grants it much potential as a green building material in thermal insulation.
Works Cited:
[ RT ISOLAZIONI - Soluzioni termoisolanti in Aerogel ] - Tecnologia Aerogel. (n.d.). Retrieved April 27, 2014, from rtisolazioni.com/technology.php
Berge, A., & Johansson, P. (2012). Literature Review of High Performance Thermal Insulation (2). Retrieved from Chalmers University of Technology website: http://publications.lib.chalmers.se/records/fulltext/local_159807.pdf
Fricke, J., & Tillotson, T. (1997). Aerogels: production, characterization, and applications. Thin Solid Films, 297(1-2), 212-223. doi:10.1016/S0040-6090(96)09441-2
The Frontier - Aerogels: Their History, Structure, and Applications. (n.d.). Retrieved April 27, 2014, from geobeck.tripod.com/frontier/aerogels.html#link
Gromicko, N. (n.d.). Aerogel - Int'l Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI). Retrieved April 27, 2014, from nachi.org/aerogel.htm
Hartmann, J., Rubin, M., & Arasteh, D. (1987). Thermal and Solar-optical Properties of Silica Aerogel for Use in Insulated Windows. Retrieved from U.S. Department of Energy website: eande.lbl.gov/sites/all/files/publications/23386.pdf
What Makes Polymers Different? (n.d.). Retrieved April 27, 2014, from pslc.ws/macrog/kidsmac/differnt.htm
Media:
youtube.com/watch?v=_w0uQLHrVw0
youtube.com/watch?v=E-xhxS581Uc
youtube.com/watch?v=8E-MtJBAZvw
youtube.com/watch?v=ZDe6GNCilV4
sweetclipart.com/hourglass-design-873
thermablok.com/images/flame-heat-resisant-thermablok-face.jpg
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/Aerogelbrick.jpg
mycrazytown.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/aerogel.jpg
mynameisnotomlette.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/shattered-glass.jpg
pamelanorris.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/aerogel-process2.jpg
supercriticalfluids.blogspot.com/2012/01/supercritical-fluids-in-2012.html
pamelanorris.wordpress.com/research/aerogel-lab
http://faculty.uscupstate.edu/llever/Polymer%20Resources/Crystalline.htm
llnl.gov/str/Foxhighlight.html
