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Aesthetically Enhanced Silica Aerogel Via Incorporation of Laser Etching and Dyes
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Radiative Heat Transfer Properties of Fiber-Aerogel Composites for Thermal Insulation
Mohanapriya Venkataraman1, Sebnem Sözcü1, Jiří Militký1
1Department of Material Engineering, Faculty of Textile Engineering, Technical University of Liberec, Studentská 1402/2, 46117 Liberec, Czech Republic.
Gels (Basel, Switzerland)
|July 25, 2025
Summary
Fiber-aerogel composites offer superior thermal insulation by suppressing heat transfer. Adding fibers enhances mechanical strength and reduces heat loss, making them ideal for high-temperature applications.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Thermal Engineering
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Fiber-aerogel composites are advanced thermal insulators with microstructures that minimize conductive, convective, and radiative heat transfer.
- Silica aerogels offer ultralow thermal conductivity at room temperature but suffer from brittleness and high infrared transparency at elevated temperatures (>300 °C).
- Incorporating microscale fibers improves mechanical robustness and reduces radiative heat transfer through enhanced scattering and absorption.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the fundamental mechanisms of radiative heat transfer in fiber-aerogel composites.
- To discuss recent advancements in fiber-reinforced aerogels, including material selection, structural modifications, and heat transfer models.
- To explore methods for optimizing these composites for high-temperature applications.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of absorption, scattering, and extinction coefficients governing radiative heat transfer.
- Examination of analytical and experimental techniques like Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and numerical modeling.
- Measurement of emissivity and transmittance using FTIR spectroscopy.
Main Results:
- Fiber incorporation enhances mechanical strength and reduces thermal conductivity by up to 30% with low fiber volume fractions (10%).
- Glass fiber addition reduced radiative heat transmission by approximately 40% due to increased infrared scattering.
- FTIR spectroscopy confirmed that fiber reinforcement decreases emissivity by about 15% at high temperatures.
Conclusions:
- Fiber-aerogel composites show significant potential for high-temperature thermal insulation.
- Further research is needed to improve affordability and scalability for industrial applications in energy-efficient buildings, electronics, and aerospace.
- Optimizing material selection and structural design is key for long-term thermal stability and performance.
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