Thermal insulative performance of bamboo leaf aerogel opacified usingactivated carbon compared with carbon black

Abstract

Silica aerogel with extremely low thermal conductivity has great potential to be used as thermal insulating material. Opacification using carbon black is normally applied to reduce radiative heat loss in silica aerogel. This work attempted to replace carbon black with activated carbon as opacifer. Both the silica aerogel and activated carbon were synthesized via bamboo leaf. Effects of carbon loading and temperatures on the thermal conductivity of opacified aerogel were studied.The results show that an optimal carbon loading that minimizedthe thermal conductivity present at different temperatures. Such optimal loading increased as temperature applied to the opacified aerogel increased. Properties of aerogels opacified with activated carbon were also compared with aerogels opacified with carbon black.