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High-temperature microtexture, microstructure evolution, and thermal insulation properties of porous Si3N4/silica aerogel composites produced by impregnation

  • Original Paper: Nano- and macroporous materials (aerogels, xerogels, cryogels, etc.)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Porous Si3N4/silica aerogel composites were prepared by sol impregnation with porous Si3N4 as the framework, and the microstructure evolution and properties of the composites were studied in detail at high temperature. Porous Si3N4 had a strong skeleton structure, which effectively inhibited the pore collapse of the aerogel, kept the nanostructure stable to 1100 °C, and significantly improved the temperature resistance of the silica aerogel. Preventing the growth of gel particles and pore collapse at temperatures above 1100 °C was difficult, and the silica aerogel gradually crystallised. When the temperature reached 1300 °C, the aerogel inside was completely crystallised, and the nanopore structure basically disappeared. The specific surface area of the composite decreased with increasing temperature, whereas the pore size and thermal conductivity increased with increasing temperature. The high-temperature thermal insulation performance was tested, and the composite material exhibited low thermal conductivity (0.254 W m−1 K−1) at even 1300 °C, which suggests this composite is suitable for thermal insulation use in a high-temperature environment.

Graphical abstract

Highlights

  • A new method was developed for improving the heat resistance of silica aerogel.

  • The microstructure and properties at high temperature were studied in detail.

  • The heat resistance of silica aerogel is increased to 1100 °C by porous Si3N4.

  • Composites can be used for heat insulation at high-temperature (~1100 °C).

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by Scientific Research Fund of Liaoning Provincial Education Department (No. J2020104) and Dalian High-Level Talent Innovation Support Project (No. 2019RQ077).

Author contributions

HY: Writing-original draft, investigation, resources, funding acquisition. XY: Investigation, resources, writing—review and editing. FY: Writing-reviewing, supervision.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Textile and Material Engineering, Dalian Polytechnic University, 116034, Dalian, PR China

    Haixia Yang & Xiandong Yue

  2. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, 150001, Harbin, PR China

    Feng Ye

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  1. Haixia Yang
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  2. Xiandong Yue
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Correspondence to Haixia Yang.

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Yang, H., Yue, X. & Ye, F. High-temperature microtexture, microstructure evolution, and thermal insulation properties of porous Si3N4/silica aerogel composites produced by impregnation. J Sol-Gel Sci Technol 104, 105–115 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-022-05908-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-022-05908-8

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