Silica aerogel reinforced with cellulose nanofibers

Silica aerogel are the most common aerogels, which are noncombustible materials with high thermal insulation. However, their low mechanical properties and dimensional instability limit their application, as they are very easily susceptible to fractures and cracks during processing and use. On the basis of these assumptions, this work addresses the development of hybrid aerogels based on silica matrix and reinforced with different levels of cellulose nanofibers, dried by supercritical extraction, using carbon dioxide as the solvent. The main results indicate that the incorporation of cellulose nanofibers assists in the dimensional stability of the aerogel, increases the mechanical strength and without significantly changing the density, and does not harm significantly the thermal insulation property.