• Clean Technology
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.237-243
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• 2023

Aerogel is the most excellent insulation material known to date, but it is inflexible and has very low strength. A blanket containing aerogel in a nonwoven fabric or fiber is currently the most practical form. However, aerogel blankets are not yet widely used because they cannot avoid dust generation when handled, lack flexibility, and can possibly deform. In this study, vacuum treatment, surface treatment, and composite materialization technology were applied to solve this problem, and some prototypes were also made. If an aerogel blanket is wrapped in an aluminum sheet, sealed at the four ends, and vacuumed, it can become a material with better insulation than the blanket itself. An aerogel molded body can be made by coating the aerogel blanket with resin and treating the surface. If the aerogel blanket is multi-packed and laminated with resin or fiber in multiple layers to make it a composite material, it can be used as a flexible insulation material. In particular, this composite material, which utilizes a Teflon membrane with controlled pores, is breathable and waterproof, so it can be used for clothing. Prototypes of insoles for winter boots and outdoor roll mats were also produced using aerogel blanket resin and fiber composites. These prototypes showed low thermal conductivity of less than 20 mW m^-1K^-1, with good flexibility and durability.