Rapid and inexpensive synthesis of liter-scale SiC aerogels

Lujia Han, Shile Chen, Honghua Li, Yanhao Dong (), Chang-An Wang and Jiangtao Li ()
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Lujia Han: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Shile Chen: Tsinghua University
Honghua Li: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Yanhao Dong: Tsinghua University
Chang-An Wang: Tsinghua University
Jiangtao Li: Chinese Academy of Sciences

Nature Communications, 2024, vol. 15, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract Ceramic aerogels are promising materials for thermal insulation and protection under harsh environments. Yet current synthesis methods fail to provide an energy-, time-, and cost-effective route for high-throughput production and large-scale applications, especially for non-oxide ceramic aerogels. Here we reported a way to synthesize SiC aerogels within seconds and over liter scale, with a demonstrated throughput of ~16 L min−1 in a typical lab experiment. The key lies in renovated combustion synthesis and a fast expansion from powder reactants to aerogel products over 1000% in volume. The synthesis process is self-sustainable and requires minimal energy input. The product is very cheap, with an estimated price of ~$0.7 L−1 (~$7 kg−1). The obtained SiC aerogels have excellent thermo-mechanical properties, including low thermal conductivity, high elasticity, and damage tolerance. Our invention not only offers a practical pathway for large-scale applications of ceramic aerogels, but also calls for rethinking of combustion synthesis in one-step conversion from raw chemicals to bulk products ready for practical applications.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-51278-w

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