The authors present a method of increasing the structural stability of silica aerogels by producing flexible aerogel composites by electrospinning and sol-gel processing. Three composites, each reinforced with one of three different polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) microstructures, were prepared in order to determine the effects of these microstructures on the mechanical and thermal properties of the composites. It was found that the compressive strength and flexibility of the composites were significantly ...
Polylactide (PLA) is a biodegradable polyester with a wide range of applications in transportation and construction industries. In this study, the physical and mechanical properties of low void fraction PLA foams and high void fraction PLA composite foams were examined after their fabrication using the high-pressure foam injection molding (HPFIM) process. A thermal constants analyzer measured the thermal conductivity of the samples using the transient plane source (TPS) method. Results ...
This paper presents the idea of flavonoid foams that are manufactured from natural resources rather than formaldehyde-containing tannin-based foams. A TPS instrument measured the thermal conductivity of the foams using the transient plane source (TPS) technique. Results show that the flavonoid foams are a better choice than tannin-based foams because they have a lower thermal conductivity which makes them more insulative and fire resistant, and they do not release toxic ...
The authors prepared silica aerogel/polyurethane composites by two different methods for the comparison of the two methods. The objective was to study the thermal insulation and hydrophobic properties of the composites to evaluate their potential for use as fabric membranes. It was found that the composites are better thermal insulators than polyurethane alone, and that they also have improved hydrophobic properties. It was also determined that the thermal conductivities ...