Polysaccharide-based aerogels for thermal insulation and superinsulation: An overview

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Sustainable Energy

Background:

• Reducing energy loss through improved thermal insulation is a critical challenge.
• Commercial porous materials offer limited thermal conductivity (0.03-0.04 W/(m·K)).
• Aerogels exhibit intrinsic thermal superinsulation (<0.025 W/(m·K)), with silica and synthetic polymers being traditional bases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether aerogels derived from natural polymers (bio-aerogels) can achieve thermal superinsulating properties.
• To identify key limitations hindering the development of bio-aerogels as high-performance thermal insulation materials.

Main Methods:

• Literature review and analysis of reported thermal conductivity data for bio-aerogels.
• Comparison of bio-aerogel thermal performance against conventional insulation and traditional aerogels.

Main Results:

• Analysis of existing literature on bio-aerogels' thermal conductivity.
• Identification of specific challenges and bottlenecks in the development pathway of bio-aerogels.

Conclusions:

• Bio-aerogels represent a novel class of materials with potential for thermal superinsulation.
• Further research is needed to overcome developmental hurdles and unlock their full potential as sustainable insulation solutions.