Flexible and Thermally Insulating Porous Materials Utilizing Hollow Double-Shell Polymer Fibers

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Sustainable Energy
• Thermal Engineering

Background:

• Global climate change is driven by carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
• There is a growing demand for sustainable, high-performance insulation materials to reduce energy loss and pollution.
• Natural systems, like polar bear fur, offer inspiration for advanced insulation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop sustainable flexible thermal insulation materials.
• To minimize heat flux and conserve thermal energy.
• To enhance energy efficiency in domestic environments.

Main Methods:

• Development of hollow double-shell fibers for insulation.
• Fabrication of layered systems of porous mats.
• Utilizing scanning thermal microscopy (SThM) for analysis.
• Simulating heat flow in individual fibers.

Main Results:

• Achieved a low thermal conductivity coefficient of 0.031 W∙m⁻¹∙K⁻¹.
• Demonstrated exceptional elasticity for adaptable insulation.
• Confirmed correlation between SThM results and simulated heat flow.
• Successfully minimized heat transfer through the developed material.

Conclusions:

• The novel hollow double-shell fiber material offers a sustainable solution for thermal insulation.
• This innovation contributes to reducing energy consumption and environmental pollution.
• The findings provide new insights into improving energy efficiency in buildings.