Iranian Firm Uses World’s Lightest Material for Industrial Production of Insulation
In addition to reducing energy consumption, this technological achievement can help reduce operating costs and improve productivity in various industries.
Aerogel insulation, with features like a lifespan of 20 to 50 years, high mechanical strength, waterproofness, moisture resistance, and performance at very low to very high temperatures, is a suitable replacement for traditional insulation like glass wool and mineral wool. This product also occupies very little space and its energy efficiency is over 97%.
The flexible blankets (IRogel) produced by the knowledge-based company are 3, 6 and 12 mm thick, with widths of 500, 670 and 1000 mm, and with lengths of up to 10 meters, and are completely hydrophobic. Flexible blankets are used in the temperature range of minus 200 to plus 650 degrees Celsius. The conductivity coefficient of this product at 20 degrees Celsius is equal to 0.021 watts per meter Kelvin and is able to compete with foreign samples.
Due to the very long lifespan of these insulators, they provide very high economic savings. Very high mechanical strength, easy cutting ability, very low thickness required and other insulation properties have made this high-tech product a very desirable option for various industries.
Another achievement of this company is aerogel powder and granules produced in transparent and opaque forms. With a contact angle of over 145 degrees, they are super hydrophobic and can be used as an additive in various materials. They have a very low density and are also used for insulation between nested pipes and any mold into which they can be poured.
In a relevant development in May, an Iranian nanotechnology company had also managed to make special aerogel blankets made of silica which can be used as thermal insulator in the aerospace industry.
The product made by ‘Pakan Atieh Nanodanesh’ company is an aerogel blanket made of a silica matrix on a flexible substrate through which the mechanical shortcoming of the mesoporous structure is alleviated.
Application of nanostructures in the aerogel blanket leads to satisfactory dimensional stability, high specific surface area and porosity, comparatively low relative density and thermal conductivity, high transparency, and extremely low dielectric constant.
The silica aerogel blankets can be utilized as thermal insulator in semi-transparent glass and ceilings, catalysts owing to their high specific surface area, hydrophobic characteristic, thermal insulator in the aerospace industry, transportation, industrial equipment and power generation, and fire-resistant components.
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