Aerogel, meaning "flying gel" (combination words areo-gel). How can the gel fly? Imagine if the jellyfish's water "removed" but does not change its size, will be? That is the case with aerogels, which are 80% to 99.8% of their own in a gaseous form - and that's the magic of Aerogel, the lightest amorphous solid material that humans can make artificially Known as the "solidified smoke" "the fifth form of matter."
High Aerogel porosity, low thermal conductivity characteristics of its good material properties: ultra-light, heat insulation, temperature resistance. It has many alternative scenarios for traditional materials, all of which involve the use of temperature-isolated applications.
In terms of classification, aerogels are carbon aerogels, sulfur aerogels, metal aerogels and oxide aerogels. However, from the cost of preparation and other comprehensive factors, the most widely used is the silicon oxide Aerogel. For example, he said that at present in many double-decker electric buses in Beijing, Aerogel composites materials have been used for heat insulation and fire protection of battery compartments. In addition, the Aerogel porous, slow release characteristics, the future is expected to be used in food-grade packaging, drug development and other fields.
Aerogel composites materials used to be seen only in the lab, and today the material is ushering in the dawn of industrialization. In general, a new class of materials without cost advantages, it is difficult to form a large-scale alternative to traditional materials. Preparation costs have historically plagued industrial applications of Aerogel composites materials.
In 2008, by chance, the chairman of JODA first came across materials like Aerogel composites. Over the years, JODA has maintained close exchanges and cooperation with many research institutes and research teams at home and abroad. But the scientific research and industrial application in the laboratory are two different things, the products need to run in the application scene. Aerogel composites products, industrial production process is still very difficult, 10 years, R & D team has encountered numerous difficulties. Today, JODA has set up a production line with a capacity of 3,000 cubic meters in Guizhou. The second and third phase production lines are still under construction. It is estimated that the annual output of 20,000 cubic meters can be realized. JODA will become one of the best suppliers in the country when 20,000m3 is fully operational.
Although the scale production of aerogels in China is more than ten years later than that in Europe and the United States, China is at the same level as its international counterparts in research and application. The developed countries in Europe and the United States also have the problem of high cost in application. Demand for Aerogel composites materials in China is expected to increase by more than 20% per year, or even more than 30% - much higher than the growth in demand for general industrial materials, especially in the context of declining industrial development in recent years, which A particularly dazzling number.
The motivation behind this is that everyone is demanding more and more energy-saving and environmental protection materials.
The main alternative now focuses on the transportation industry, such as passenger cars, high-speed rail, and alternative aspects of ship-related materials. Substitution of building materials is still in the high-end architectural applications, has not yet been widely applied. Electric cars run up the streets, the application needs more.
Compared with aerogels, traditional insulation materials not only have poor performance, but also have environmental pollution factors in the preparation process. The same size A4 paper insulation area of material, from the thickness, rock wool than air gel more 3 to 5 times.
Rock wool is a common insulation material, its preparation to mountain quarrying, high temperature furnace melting, is a high energy consumption, not environmentally friendly materials. The use of aerogels can drastically reduce the use of such highly energy-consuming and highly-polluting materials, and the effect on natural resources and environmental protection is self-evident if large-scale substitution is possible.
The extensive application of the material necessarily involves the development of standards. The good news is that the first national standard for aerogels in China, the nano-pore Aerogel composites composite thermal insulation product, has been prepared and will come into effect on September 1, 2018.