Preparation and performance study of highly transparent SiO2 aerogel for solar high-temperature thermal utilization

Xueling Li, Yang Liu, Liyun Yan, Zhiwei Song and Yichao Li

Renewable Energy, 2025, vol. 255, issue C

Abstract: Monolithic SiO2 aerogel, as a transparent insulation material, has extensive potential in the field of concentrated solar power. However, challenges still persist when it comes to the high-temperature solar thermal utilization of transparent SiO2 aerogel. In this study, a supercritical CO2 extraction drying process was employed to fabricate monolithic and highly transparent SiO2 aerogels. The impacts of high temperature (500–900 °C) on the light transmission, thermal insulation, thermal stability, and microstructural features of the aerogels were thoroughly investigated. The results indicate that the aerogel can achieve 93.8 % solar spectral weighted transmittance with small-scale mesopores (5–10 nm) after 5-h thermal treatment at 500 °C. High temperature can enhance the transmission of solar radiation through the aerogel, but it simultaneously decreases its thermal insulation performance. The effective thermal conductivity is 0.08 W/(m·K) at 100 °C and increases as the temperature rises. The aerogel is not suitable for high-temperature conditions above 900 °C as its nanoporous characteristics will be significantly diminished. Experimental tests under concentrated solar radiation reveal that the aerogel can achieve a stagnation temperature of 640 K at a concentration ratio of 5, which is 24.3 % higher than that of quartz glass, demonstrating its superior transparent thermal insulation performance.

Keywords: Solar thermal utilization; Transparent SiO2 aerogel; Supercritical CO2 extraction drying; High temperature; Transparent insulation performance (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:renene:v:255:y:2025:i:c:s0960148125014715

DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2025.123807

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