Ambient pressure dried hydrophobic silica aerogel monoliths were prepared via simultaneous solvent exchange and surface modification in order to minimize volume shrinkage and density. At room temperature, the obtained silica aerogels had a low density of 0.096 g/cm³, a high surface area and hydrophobicity, and a low thermal conductivity of 0.0217 W/m·K. The effect of heating on these properties was also determined. After the aerogel had been heated to 300°...
The thermal properties of engineered bamboo products were investigated as these products show promise for use as building materials due to their improved mechanical properties over traditional timber building materials. It was determined that the thermal conductivity was lower for the bamboo materials than for timber, which indicates that these materials could potentially be used in the construction of energy efficient buildings....
