Researchers in Sweden are working on a way to make buildings more energy efficient and sustainable. The new material offers better thermal performance than ordinary plastic-based insulation materials according to researchers.
According to an assistant professor at Wallenberg Wood Science Center, KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden, the new insulation material is made without adding any substances.
The Wallenberg Wood Science Center at KTH has been developing advanced types of wood aerogels for the last several years, but Li says the new method represents a breakthrough.
Li says that biobased strong aerogels could be used to replace fossil-based aerogels for super thermal insulation.
The process of delignifying the wood begins with the removal of the lignin which gives wood its strength and color. Taking the next step and getting inside the large empty pores of the material will result in thousands of them being created.
She says that the structures are created by partial dissolution of the cell walls. The cell wall is partially dissolved by an ionic liquid mixture and then water is added to create a network ofibrils.
According to Li, the researchers have developed a high level of control over the precipitation process, which means they can create the precise level ofnanoporosity.
There are other uses for the aerogel. The structure allows advanced materials for energy storage and conversion. Polystyrene helps prevent heat transfer between objects and the surrounding environment so it can keep goods cool during the shipment.
In situ formation of nanofibril networks inside wood's empty spaces can result in it being highly thermal insulation.
More information: Jonas Garemark et al, Nanostructurally Controllable Strong Wood Aerogel toward Efficient Thermal Insulation, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces (2022). DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c04584 Journal information: ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces
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