Abstract
The use and storage of cryogens such as liquefied nitrogen, helium, hydrogen among others requires reliable and efficient thermal insulation systems. Passive insulation from high performance materials that are well-known for their inherent low thermal conductivity would reduce the overall costs involved in design, manufacture and maintenance of such systems. One such class of materials are referred to as aerogels. These materials are known for their low density, high mesoporosity, high surface areas, low thermal conductivity and high acoustic impedance. Aerogels were invented by S.S. Kistler in 1931, and the most common type are those made of silica. However, the inherent fragility of silica aerogels makes them hard to mass produce, and therefore applications have been limited. A major breakthrough was introduced by our team almost 20 years ago with the invention of polymer crosslinked silica aerogels. Those materials shifted attention to all-polymer aerogels that have overcome all fragility issues associated with their inorganic counterparts. This study focuses on such polymeric aerogels that can be mass produced as large monoliths while maintaining the low thermal conductivity of traditional silica aerogels over a wide temperature range. Manufacturing flexibility of polymeric aerogels allows fabrication of blocks and sheets that can be applied in various configurations to insulate cryogenic and superconducting devices. The thermal conductivity with 80 K and room temperature boundary are reported as well as other properties (electrical), that need to be considered when designing devices for cryogenic applications.
Recommended Citation
G. Churu et al., "Thermal and Electrical Properties of Isocyanate Derived Organic Aerogels for Cryogenic Insulation Applications," IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, vol. 756, no. 1, article no. 012007, IOP Publishing, Jun 2020.
The definitive version is available at https://doi.org/10.1088/1757-899X/756/1/012007
Department(s)
Chemistry
Publication Status
Open Access
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
1757-899X; 1757-8981
Document Type
Article - Conference proceedings
Document Version
Citation
File Type
text
Language(s)
English
Rights
© 2024 IOP Publishing, All rights reserved.
Publication Date
29 Jun 2020
Comments
U.S. Department of Energy, Grant None