Aerogel Coating Liquid Aggregation for Crack-Resistant Insulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge is to develop a manufacturing method for a thermal insulating material that prevents resin impregnation into the fine pores of aerogel particles, thereby maintaining high thermal insulating properties and film formability, as existing methods often result in decreased thermal performance and cracking due to resin infiltration.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the preparation of aerogel particles, a water-soluble polymer with hydrophobic groups, and a liquid medium, followed by aggregation to create a coating liquid with aerogel particle aggregates, which reduces the contact interface with the resin and enhances dispersibility, ensuring even distribution and suppressing resin impregnation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If aerogel particles are dispersed in a resin component to form a composite material, then heat resistance is improved, but the resin component is impregnated into fine pores of the aerogel particles, causing loss of fine pore structure and decreased thermal insulating properties
Solution Approach 1:
The aerogel particles are pre-aggregated before being mixed with the resin component. This preliminary aggregation creates larger particle structures with reduced total surface area, preventing the resin from penetrating into the fine pores of individual aerogel particles while still allowing the composite to achieve desired heat resistance through the aerogel framework
Solution Approach 2:
A water-soluble polymer is introduced as an intermediary substance between the aerogel particles and the resin component. This polymer forms a protective layer or interface that prevents direct contact and impregnation of the resin into the aerogel fine pores, while still allowing the composite material to achieve good adhesion and heat resistance
2Reliability
If aerogel particles are dispersed in a resin component, then thermal insulating properties are improved, but the strength of the coated film is insufficient and cracks are likely to occur
Solution Approach 1:
The aerogel particles are pre-aggregated to form larger, more uniform structures before resin impregnation. This preliminary aggregation creates a more uniform distribution pattern that reduces stress concentration points, preventing crack formation while maintaining thermal insulating properties
Solution Approach 2:
The particle size distribution is changed by aggregating aerogel particles to form larger structures (average diameter 2 to 40 times the original aerogel particles). This parameter change in particle size reduces the number of particle-resin interfaces, decreasing crack initiation sites while maintaining thermal performance
3Reliability
If aerogel particles are aggregated to reduce contact interface with resin, then resin impregnation is suppressed, but uneven distribution of aerogel particles may cause cracks and unevenness in coated film
Solution Approach 1:
The aerogel particles are pre-aggregated under controlled conditions to form uniform structures with consistent size distribution (average diameter 2 to 40 times the original particles). This preliminary action ensures that when dispersed in the coating liquid, the aggregates distribute evenly without causing unevenness or cracks in the final coated film
Solution Approach 2:
The aggregation process is controlled to achieve optimal aggregate size parameters (2 to 40 times the original aerogel particle diameter). This parameter optimization ensures that aggregates are large enough to reduce impregnation but small and uniform enough to distribute evenly in the coating liquid, preventing both cracking and unevenness
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach results in a thermal insulating material with improved thermal insulation and film formability, characterized by high aerogel particle and aggregate dispersion, reduced cracking, and increased film strength, while maintaining the aerogel's microporous structure.
Implementation Method 1
a water-soluble polymer having a hydrophobic group
Data Source
AI summary
A manufacturing method for a coating liquid, including: a preparing step of preparing aerogel particles, a water-soluble polymer having a hydrophobic group, and a liquid medium; and a mixing step of mixing the aerogel particles, the water-soluble polymer, and the liquid medium prepared in the preparing step and aggregating the aerogel particles to obtain a coating liquid containing aggregates of the aerogel particles, the water-soluble polymer, and the liquid medium.