Aerogel Based High Performance Thermal Insulation Materials

Abstract In this paper, the thermal properties of polyester/polyethylene nonwoven thermal wraps of varying thicknesses treated with aerogel were analyzed and compared. The microscopic images were taken by confocal microscope and image analysis to compare the physical structure of the aerogel treated nonwoven fabrics. Thermal conductivity and thermal resistance were measured using FOX heat flow meter instrument. The water vapor resistance and thermal resistance were measured using sweating guarded hot plate (SGHP). These tests were conducted to understand and to compare the thermal properties and water vapor resistance of aerogel treated nonwoven fabrics. The results of the experiments were statistically analyzed and showed that the fabric density and the aerogel present in the fabric have a significant effect on thermal properties and water vapor resistance of the aerogel treated nonwoven fabrics.