In recent years, new and efficient thermal insulation materials have emerged in the high-end industrial and construction fields, and because of their composite of a variety of advanced technologies and materials, they have a number of “aliases” named from different perspectives.
These aliases are mainly derived from its core components, structural properties or functional applications.
I. Alias based on core components
This category directly highlights the most critical and distinctive component of the material – carbon fiber.
1.Carbon Fiber Insulation Mat / Carbon Fiber Heat Insulation Mat
(1) Origin: This is the most direct and common alias. “Felt” describes the physical form of the material, which is usually a soft, rollable blanket or felt, made from carbon fiber filaments through a special process.
(2) Characteristics: emphasizes the flexibility and processability, easy to wrap the shaped equipment, pipes, etc..
2.Carbon fiber composite heat insulation materials
(1) Origin: This is a more academic and common name. “Composite” specifies that it is not pure carbon fiber, but with other materials (such as pre-oxidized fibers, ceramic fibers, graphite, etc.) composite to optimize the overall performance.
(2) Features: the name is rigorous, covering a wider range of product types.
3.Carbon nanotube reinforced composite insulation (for more sophisticated models)
(1) Origin: In some top products, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) will be used to reinforce the matrix, thus greatly enhancing the mechanical properties and thermal stability of the material.
(2) Characteristics: The name represents the technological frontier in the field, and the performance is usually far beyond that of ordinary carbon fiber insulation materials.
Second, based on the structure and function of the alias.
This category of aliases emphasizes the unique physical structure of the material and the superior thermal insulation performance it brings.
1.Carbon fiber aerogel composites / carbon mat composite aerogel
(1) Origin: This is currently the hottest direction in high-performance insulation materials. The aerogel (usually silica aerogel) is composited with carbon fiber mats. The carbon fiber skeleton provides strength and toughness, while the aerogel fills in the pores and provides extremely low thermal conductivity.
(2) Characterization: This is the key to “high performance”. Aerogel has the lowest known thermal conductivity of any solid material, and its nanoporous structure effectively inhibits convective and radiative heat transfer. Therefore, this name is almost equivalent to the “top thermal insulation material”.
2.Flexible graphite composite thermal insulation materials
(1) Origin: Carbon fiber after high temperature graphitization, graphite structure will be formed, with better thermal and chemical stability. This type of material is usually more suitable for ultra-high temperatures (e.g., above 1500°C in a vacuum environment) and scenarios that require corrosion resistance.
(2) Characteristics: its high-temperature performance and a certain degree of flexibility is emphasized.
3.low-e (Low-e) insulation materials
(1) Origin: carbon material itself has low infrared radiation characteristics. At high temperatures, thermal radiation is the main mode of heat transfer. Carbon fiber composite materials can effectively reflect and scatter thermal radiation, thereby reducing radiant heat loss.
(2) Characteristics: this name is described from the perspective of the principle of thermophysics, highlighting its adiabatic advantage in the high temperature range.
Third, then why does he have so many aliases?
Because this is not just a material, but a material system. Its high performance stems from the combination of a variety of technologies:
1.carbon fiber skeleton: to provide mechanical strength, so that the brittle aerogel or ceramic materials become flexible and plastic, easy engineering applications.
2.Aerogel filler: the core functional part, locking the air through its nanopores so that the air can not flow, thus nearly eliminating convection and conduction heat transfer. Its hole size is smaller than the average free range of gas molecules, realizing the “infinite cavity” effect.
3.low radiation properties: carbon material itself is a good absorber and scatterer of radiation, at high temperatures can effectively block infrared radiation heat transfer, which is the traditional ceramic fiber materials at high temperatures in the main reason for the decline in thermal insulation performance.
When you hear these aliases, basically refers to the carbon fiber as a reinforcing body, composite aerogel, graphite and other highly efficient thermal insulation medium of a new class of lightweight, ultra-low thermal conductivity, high temperature flexible insulation materials. Among them, “carbon fiber aerogel composite material” is currently recognized as the representative of the top performance.
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