Overview of Aerogels for Thermal Insulation

With the development of building energy efficiency, battery thermal management, aerospace, and other fields, the performance requirements of thermal insulation materials are increasing. Aerogels are porous materials with three-dimensional nanostructures with extremely low density and thermal conductivity. In recent years, aerogels have attracted much attention in thermal insulation due to their excellent properties. This paper reviews the design, preparation, and thermal insulation application of aerogels. First, the preparation methods of oxides, carbides, nitrides, and polymer aerogels are introduced. Then, the application progress of aerogels in various thermal insulation scenarios is analyzed. In addition, the challenges and prospects of future research on aerogels for thermal insulation are discussed.