Superelastic Fire-Safe Aerogel with Hierarchical Structures via Dual Templates Aided by Microbubble Engineering

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Sustainable Engineering

Background:

• Inorganic aerogels exhibit brittleness and poor processability.
• Organic aerogels face high production costs and limited elastic recovery.
• Advanced thermal management requires materials with superelasticity and ultralow thermal conductivity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate ultralight, superelastic aerogels with hierarchical porosity.
• To enhance thermal insulation, flame retardancy, and mechanical properties.
• To develop a scalable and cost-effective production method for sustainable applications.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a dual-template (ice and bubble) strategy for hierarchical pore fabrication.
• Engineered microbubbles via a modified "Tessari method" for macropores.
• Employed freeze-drying with gelatine (Ge) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) incorporating potassium salt.

Main Results:

• Achieved ultralight aerogels with exceptional elasticity and ultralow thermal conductivity.
• Demonstrated flame retardancy, reducing peak heat release rate by 54% and enabling self-extinguishing behavior.
• Exhibited rapid water-assisted self-healing, closed-loop recyclability, and biodegradability.

Conclusions:

• The developed aerogels offer a promising solution for advanced thermal management in energy-efficient buildings.
• The dual-template method enables scalable production with low raw material costs.
• These sustainable, fire-safe aerogels are suitable for multifunctional applications.