Cost-Effective Preparation of Hydrophobic and Thermal-Insulating Silica Aerogels

The aim of this study is to reduce the manufacturing cost of a hydrophobic and heat-insulating silica aerogel and promote its industrial application in the field of thermal insulation. Silica aerogels with hydrophobicity and thermal-insulation capabilities were synthesized by using water-glass as the silicon source and supercritical drying. The effectiveness of acid and alkali catalysis is compared in the formation of the sol. The introduction of sodium methyl silicate for the copolymerization enhances the hydrophobicity of the aerogel. The resultant silica aerogel has high hydrophobicity and a mesoporous structure with a pore volume exceeding 4.0 cm3·g−1 and a specific surface area exceeding 950 m2·g−1. The obtained silica aerogel/fiber-glass-mat composite has high thermal insulation, with a thermal conductivity of less than 0.020 W·m−1·K−1. The cost-effective process is promising for applications in the industrial preparation of silica aerogel thermal-insulating material.