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Aerogel-based thermal superinsulation: an overview

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Abstract

This review is focused on describing the intimate link which exists between aerogels and thermal superinsulation. For long, this applied field has been considered as the most promising potential market for these nanomaterials. Today, there are several indicators suggesting that this old vision is likely to become reality in the near future. Based on recent developments in the field, we are confident that aerogels still offer the greatest potential for non-evacuated superinsulation systems and consequently must be considered as an amazing opportunity for sustainable development. The practical realization of such products however is time-consuming and a significant amount of R&D activities are still necessary to yield improved aerogel-based insulation products for mass markets.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to acknowledge Springer publishing and the main editors Michel Aegerter and Nicholas Leventis for their involvement in the Aerogels Handbook by which this review article was inspired. Also, the European Commission, the French Agency for Environment and Energy Management (ADEME), the French National Research Agency (ANR), the French „Fonds Unique Interministériel “(FUI) fund and ARMINES (The Contract Research Association of MINES Schools) for their financial support since the early nineties through different projects (like HILIT, HILIT+, PACTE Aerogels, ISOCOMP and NANO-PU), MINES ParisTech/ARMINES/CEMEF for SEM/TEM characterization support and last but not least, the industrials PCAS FIXIT/HASIT and PAREXLANKO as well as the French Scientific and Technical Centre for Building (CSTB) are warmly acknowledged for fruitful collaborations.

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  1. Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Überlandstrasse 129, 8600, Dübendorf, Switzerland

    Matthias Koebel

  2. MINES ParisTech, CEP, Centre Energétique et Procédés, BP 207, 06904, Sophia Antipolis, France

    Arnaud Rigacci & Patrick Achard

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  1. Matthias Koebel
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Correspondence to Matthias Koebel.

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Koebel, M., Rigacci, A. & Achard, P. Aerogel-based thermal superinsulation: an overview. J Sol-Gel Sci Technol 63, 315–339 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-012-2792-9

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