HIT is expected to develop new ceramic airgel insulation to protect spacecraft

Recently, the Harbin Institute of Technology School of Civil Engineering Professor Li Hui Research Group Professor Xu Xiangfu first author who published a research paper in the internationally renowned journal \”Science\” and \”Double Negative ceramics Aerogels super-insulation material.\” Professor at Los Angeles Professor Duan Xiangfeng Vicky and the University of California, Professor Huang Yu three were co-authors, led the team developed a lightweight and extremely durable ceramic airgel, this new material can withstand extreme heat and energy withstand drastic temperature changes, it is expected for future spacecraft thermal protection and so on. Xu Xiang said ceramic aerogels prepared CVD is critical research, ceramic airgel to impart flexibility, thickness control of the pore walls, ceramic aerogels to improve the crystallinity, structural design and implement, the researchers after nearly times repeatedly experiment. The ceramic aerogels having ultra-light characteristics such that the system can not measure the commercial test its thermal conductivity. To this end, the research team set up a special measuring device, and the reliability of the feasibility studies. New ceramic airgel provides research ideas for solving the problem of brittle ceramic ultra-light structure, and thermal crystallization problems, which greatly promoted the application of ceramic airgel insulation, catalysis, energy, environmental management, aerospace and other fields . Research and development team, said the study is only a start, the next step will continue to develop more flexible, able to adapt to higher operating temperatures, has a lower thermal conductivity of the ceramic ultra-light airgel structure, to further promote multi-field ceramic airgel the wide range of applications.