Scattering and absorption coefficients of silica-doped alumina aerogels

Alumina-based aerogels are especially useful in many applications due to their excellent stability at high temperatures. This study experimentally analyzed the radiative properties of silica-doped alumina aerogels through spectral directional-hemispherical measurements for wavelengths of 0.38-25 μm. The silica-doped alumina aerogel samples were prepared with a 1.4∶1 molar ratio of silica to alumina. A two-flux model was used to describe the radiation propagation in a 1D scattering absorbing sample to derive expressions for the normal-hemispherical transmittances and reflectances based on the transport approximation. The normal-hemispherical transmittances and reflectances were measured at various spectral wavelengths and sample thicknesses using the integrating sphere method. The spectral absorption and transport scattering coefficients of silica-doped alumina aerogels were then determined from the measured normal-hemispherical data. The absorption and transport scattering coefficients of silica-doped alumina aerogels are (0.1  cm-1, 36  cm-1) and (0.1  cm-1, 112  cm-1) for wavelengths of 0.38-8.0 μm. The spectral transport scattering coefficient varies in the opposite direction from the spectral absorption coefficient for various wavelengths. The radiative properties for silica and alumina aerogels were quite different for the absorption coefficient for wavelengths of 2.5-8.0 μm and for the transport scattering coefficient for wavelengths of 0.38-2.5 and 3.5-6.0 μm. The measured radiative properties were used to predict the spectral normal-hemispherical reflectance and transmittance of the silica-doped alumina aerogels for various sample thicknesses and wavelengths. The predicted values do not change for the sample thicknesses greater than a critical value. The analysis provides valuable reference data for alumina aerogels for high-temperature applications.