Effect of silica aerogel on thermal insulation and acoustic absorption of geopolymer foam composites: The role of aerogel particle size

• Published in: Composites. Part B, Engineering Vol. 242; p. 110048
• Main Authors: Chen, Y.X., Klima, K.M., Brouwers, H.J.H., Yu, Qingliang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01-08-2022
• Subjects: Acoustic absorption; Foam render; Geopolymer; Hygrothermal performance; Silica aerogel; Thermal insulation; Foam render; Silica aerogel; Geopolymer; Hygrothermal performance; Acoustic absorption; Thermal insulation
• ISSN: 1359-8368; 1879-1069
• DOI: 10.1016/j.compositesb.2022.110048

Silica aerogel features super thermal insulating and excellent sound absorption. Although the application of silica aerogel in building materials for energy saving has been investigated recently, the role of aerogel particle size on geopolymer foam render can be crucial but is rarely studied. In this research, four kinds of silica aerogel with different particle sizes (2–40 μm, 100–700 μm, 100–1200 μm, 700–4000 μm) are applied in geopolymer foam aerogel render (GFAR) to improve the thermal insulation and acoustic absorption performance. Results show that larger silica aerogel particles are more beneficial for acoustic absorption and thermal insulation while smaller aerogel particles are less effective for insulation properties. The microstructure of GFAR is investigated in-depth with micro-CT, optical microscopy and ultrasonic pulse velocity test. The mechanism of the improved performance of GFAR with different silica aerogel is explained. The optimal geopolymer foam aerogel render (GFAR) reaches a thermal conductivity of 0.133 W/(m·K), an average value of acoustic absorption coefficient of 0.51 with a density of 715.2 kg/m3. The result of this study is essential to enlighten the use of larger silica aerogel particles in geopolymer foam render, focusing on a low dosage of silica aerogel while utilize its full benefit.
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•Aerogel size shows distinct mechanism on thermal and acoustic performance of GFAR.•Acoustic absorption is mainly contributed by large aerogel via interconnected openings.•Critical role in reducing water adsorption by a wide range of aerogel sizes is proved.•Thermal conductivity of GFAR is influenced mostly by porosity and small closed pores.