Operational thermophysical characteristics of aerogel-based rolled materials for technical insulation

The article presents the results of comprehensive studies of the performance characteristics of aerogel-based rolled materials intended for thermal insulation of pipelines and equipment. For different grades of density, the dependence of thermal conductivity on operating temperature has been experimentally established and generalized as exponential functions. The obtained thermal conductivity results in the operating temperature range are significantly lower than the thermal conductivity values of traditional thermal insulation materials used for technical insulation against high-temperature influences. The maximum operating temperature of aerogel–based rolled materials has been determined – for most brands it is 650°C. The vapor permeability of aerogel-based materials has been established, which is about 0.1 mg/(m·h·Pa) regardless of the density, and the isotherms of sorption of different grades of density. The sorption capacity of the materials studied is higher than that of thermal insulation products made of stone fiber and is comparable to products made of glass fiber. Based on the experimental data obtained, amendments were made to SP 61.13330.2012 “SNiP 41-03–2003 Thermal insulation of equipment and pipelines”, which opens up additional possibilities for using this type of materials in technical insulation.