High-performance carbon fiber composite insulation materials are playing an increasingly important role in a number of high-end and emerging industries due to their unique combination of properties. It is not just “thermal insulation”, but also an advanced functional material that integrates high efficiency thermal insulation, light weight, high strength, corrosion resistance and high temperature resistance.
1. Aerospace industry
This is the earliest and most demanding application of carbon fiber composites, and the same applies to thermal insulation materials.
Role:
(1) Extreme temperature protection: Used in the thermal protection system (TPS) of spacecraft, such as the return capsule, rocket engine compartment, etc., to resist the thousands of degrees Celsius generated when re-entering the atmosphere.
(2) Deep-cooling insulation: used in the insulation of liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen fuel storage tanks to minimize evaporation loss, which is critical for long-duration flights and space missions.
(3) Lightweighting: Ensure extreme thermal insulation performance while greatly reducing the weight of the vehicle, which is the key to improving the efficiency of delivery and reducing energy consumption.
Typical applications: heat shielding layer of rocket bodies, satellites and spacecraft, thermal insulation layer of low-temperature fuel storage tanks, and thermal and acoustic insulation materials for aircraft engine compartments.
2. New energy industry (especially hydrogen energy and lithium battery)
This is currently one of the fastest growing application markets for carbon fiber composite insulation materials.
Hydrogen energy field:
Role: The storage and transportation of hydrogen requires extremely high thermal insulation performance. The boiling point of liquid hydrogen is as low as -253℃, which makes the requirements for insulation materials extremely harsh. Products such as carbon fiber composite vacuum insulation panels can effectively prevent heat intrusion and maintain a low-temperature environment.
Typical applications: liquid hydrogen storage and transportation tanks (on-board hydrogen storage bottles, transportation tankers), hydrogen storage devices in hydrogen refueling stations.
Lithium battery field:
Role: Power batteries are very sensitive to operating temperatures and require excellent thermal management systems. This material can be used as a heat insulation layer between the electric cores to prevent the spread of thermal runaway, as well as the overall thermal insulation layer of the battery pack to keep the battery active in a low-temperature environment.
Typical applications: thermal pads and heat insulation covers for battery packs in new energy vehicles, and battery compartment insulation in energy storage power stations.
3. High-end industrial equipment and manufacturing
Role:
(1) Energy saving of high-temperature furnaces and kilns: Applied to high-temperature industrial furnaces in metallurgy, ceramics, glass and other industries, its excellent high-temperature resistance and low thermal conductivity characteristics can significantly reduce heat loss, improve thermal efficiency and reduce energy consumption.
(2) Semiconductor manufacturing: semiconductor process in the crystal growth furnace (such as monocrystalline silicon pulling furnace), diffusion furnace, etc. need to be precise and stable high-temperature environment, high-performance thermal insulation materials is to ensure the consistency of the process and the key to energy saving.
(3) precision instrument insulation: for precision measuring instruments (such as electron microscopes, spectrometers) to provide heat shielding, to avoid ambient temperature fluctuations affect the accuracy of its measurement.
(4) Transportation (in addition to aerospace)
Role:
Lightweight and energy saving: in the field of high-speed rail, magnetic levitation trains, high-end caravans, etc., the use of the material to make the insulation layer of the body or cabin can simultaneously achieve the dual purpose of weight reduction and energy saving (reduce air-conditioning load).
Fire safety: the material itself has non-combustible or flame retardant properties, which can improve the passive safety of the vehicle.
5. Construction field (high-end and special applications)
Although the cost is higher, it is irreplaceable in some special scenarios.
Role:
(1) Ultra-low energy consumption building: used in passive house, green building and other buildings with very high requirements for thermal insulation performance of the external wall insulation system, with its ultra-low thermal conductivity to achieve a thinner thickness of the insulation layer and better results.
(2) Special environment: used in LNG (liquefied natural gas) receiving station, cold storage and other facilities that require extremely low temperature insulation.
(3)Fire protection requirements: Used in public places with extremely high requirements for fire protection grade, as Class A non-combustible insulation material.
The reason why it can play an important role in these high-end industries stems from its advantages that cannot be replaced by traditional materials:
1. Extremely efficient thermal insulation performance: extremely low thermal conductivity, far superior to traditional insulation materials (such as rock wool, glass wool, polystyrene board, etc.).
2. Amazing light weight and high strength: extremely light weight, but high mechanical strength to meet the demand for structural-functional integration.
3. Excellent temperature resistance: can withstand ultra-high temperatures (over 1000°C) as well as stable application in ultra-low temperature (below -200°C) environments.
4. Good chemical stability: corrosion resistance and long life.
5. Designability: as a composite material, its shape, thickness and performance can be designed and optimized according to specific applications.
Currently, the main factor restricting its large-scale popularization is its high cost. Therefore, it mainly focuses on high-tech and high value-added fields that have extreme requirements for performance, weight, and reliability, but are relatively insensitive to cost. With technological advances and cost reductions, its application scope is expected to expand further.
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