Fiber Composite Material with In-Situ Silicon Gel Coating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for producing fiber composite materials face challenges with unstable silicon-based powders in solvents, poor coating uniformity, reduced porosity, and increased thermal conductivity due to cracking, leading to adherence issues and dust problems.
Innovation Solution
A method using a specific silicon precursor with a secondary amino group and alkyl groups, combined with an in-situ condensation process in the absence of organic solvents, to create a hydrophobic modification of silicon-based gels, resulting in a fiber composite material with enhanced adherence and reduced thermal conductivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If silicon-based powders are prepared in solvents using conventional coating methods, then the fiber composite material can be produced, but the coating uniformity is poor and adherence between silicon-based powders and fiber material is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The invention removes organic solvents from the coating process entirely, replacing them with water-based hydrolysis and condensation reactions. This extraction of harmful solvents eliminates the instability and poor coating uniformity issues while maintaining strong adherence through in-situ formed silicon-based gels that bond directly to fiber surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces an intermediary chemical process where silicon precursors undergo hydrolysis and condensation reactions on the fiber surface. This intermediary reaction pathway creates a transition layer of silicon-based gels that ensures uniform coating and strong adherence, avoiding the direct physical coating problems of conventional methods.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If silicon-based powders are coated on fiber material, then thermal insulation is achieved, but porosity reduces due to cracking flakiness structure which increases thermal conductivity
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the fundamental parameters of the coating process by using in-situ chemical reactions instead of physical coating. This transforms the silicon-based material from a flakiness powder structure into a gel structure with controlled porosity, maintaining low thermal conductivity while preventing the cracking that would otherwise increase thermal conductivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite structure where silicon-based gels are formed in-situ on the fiber material surface. This composite approach combines the fiber matrix with the gel coating, creating a hierarchical structure that maintains porosity for thermal insulation while the gel network prevents cracking and structural degradation.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional coating methods are used with organic solvents, then the process can be completed, but the process complexity increases and thermal conductivity decreases poorly
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts organic solvents from the manufacturing process, replacing them with water-based systems. This simplification removes the need for complex solvent handling, drying, and safety protocols, making the process easier to manufacture while simultaneously achieving better thermal insulation performance through the gel structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces mechanical coating methods with chemical reaction-based in-situ formation. Instead of physically coating and drying solvent-based suspensions, the system uses hydrolysis and condensation reactions to form the coating chemically, simplifying the process and achieving superior thermal insulation properties.
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
The method produces a fiber composite material with improved thermal insulation properties and reduced dust issues, achieving a thermal conductivity coefficient of less than 0.035 W/m·K and maintaining porosity, thus addressing the drawbacks of conventional methods.
Implementation Method 1
a hydrolysis step is performed on a first silicon precursor, an emulsifying agent and water, so as to obtain a hydrolyzed solution
Implementation Method 2
a treating step is performed on a fiber material, so as to spread the hydrolyzed solution on the fiber material
Implementation Method 3
an in-situ condensation step is performed on the fiber material and a second silicon precursor after the treating step is finished, so as to obtain a wet colloid composite material
Implementation Method 4
a drying step is performed on the wet colloid composite material, so as to obtain the fiber composite material
Implementation Method 5
The silicon-based powders are a material with a porous network structure, which has a high porosity, a high specific surface area, a small pore diameter, and pores filled with gas (e.g. air), leading in the silicon-based powders with a low thermal conductivity
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a fiber composite material and a method for producing the fiber composite material. The method for producing the fiber composite material includes a hydrolysis step of a silicon precursor having an alkoxy group, an in-situ condensation step and a drying step. A specific silicon precursor having a secondary amino group and alkyl groups is used therein, as well as a specific weight ratio of the silicon precursor to a fiber material, the in-situ condensation step can be performed in the absence of organic solvents in the method for producing the fiber composite material, and a hydrophobic modification on silicon-based gels can be performed, thereby simplifying the process, decreasing a thermal conductivity of the resulted fiber composite material and preventing drop dust of the resulted fiber composite material.