Super thermal insulation SiC aerogel with high elasticity and good adsorption performance prepared by constructing coaxial precursor

• Published in: Composites. Part A, Applied science and manufacturing Applied science and manufacturing, 2024-06, Vol.181, p.108153, Article 108153
• Main Authors: He, Pan, Pan, Yuelei, Yan, Mingyuan, Gong, Lunlun, Shi, Long, Cheng, Xudong, Zhang, Heping, Zhao, Junchao
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: (A)Nano-structures; (B)Elasticity; (B)High-temperature properties; (D)Thermal analysis
• ISSN: 1359-835X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.compositesa.2024.108153

[Display omitted] •Utra-elastic SiC aerogel were obtained based on the coaxial precursor strategy.•The SiC aerogel has excellent thermal insulation and good adsorption capacity.•The sintering time with this strategy is reduced to10 minutes. Silicon Carbide (SiC) aerogel is a material with 3D network structure, low density, and high-temperature resistance, showing a broad application potential in various areas. It is currently challenging for SiC aerogels to balance the mechanical and high-temperature insulation properties. Here, a novel strategy was implemented for the first time, by constructing coaxial precursors. This structure can achieve in-situ Si-C binding and maximization the reaction sites to achieve fibers growth uniformly. The sintering time is reduced by over 90%. The fatigue resistance and elastic properties of the SiC aerogel were significantly improved. In addition, the uniform nanowire fiber and pore structure enable an ultra-low thermal conductivity of 0.018 W/(m K) at room temperature, 0.082 W/(m K) even at 900 °C, and superior structural stability at 1400 °C. Our strategy provides a feasible approach for the structural design of thermally insulated SiC aerogels with high elastic resilience and good adsorbability.