new all-natural heat-resistant aerogel
photo: angewandte chemie
by staff reporters
scientists from the university of science and technology of china have created an all-natural wood-inspired aerogel.
they used a method of surface nanocrystallization, with natural biomass and minerals as ingredients, to make the surface-inert and weakly interacting wood particles better assemble to construct the aerogel. the resulting wood-inspired aerogel has a channel structure similar to that of natural wood, along with good biodegradability.
this material features a remarkable performance of thermal insulation and fire retardancy. it can withstand a high- temperature flame of 1,300 °c and not be burned through in at least 20 minutes.
even if it is on fire, the smog emission amount produced by this such all-natural wood-inspired aerogel is less about 91 percent of that produced by natural balsa wood, which greatly reduces the damage to the human body in a real fire situation.
the low energy consumption and emissions of the preparation process and its natural ingredients make the aerogel more biodegradable, sustainable, and environmentally friendly. this kind of material will be an ideal substitute for existing commercial thermal insulation materials.
