New Hollow Silica Nanoparticle-Based Technology Could Form the Basis of Next-gen Thermal Insulation Systems

SUNY Distinguished Professor Mark Swihart and other researchers from the University at Buffalo and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have recently published an article in Chemical Engineering Journal entitled “Creation of hollow silica-fiberglass soft ceramics for thermal insulation”.  The study presents two low-cost and scalable processes of making hollow silica nanoparticles, along with a simple method of combining them with conventional fiberglass to make a nanocomposite insulation material. The voids in the hollow silica particles interrupt the transfer of heat in the gas phase, while small points of contact between them limit heat transfer through the solid phase. These effects allow the nanocomposite insulation to have a lower thermal conductivity than either of its components, and even lower than that of still air.  The findings “suggest that the approach described…is a promising method for scalable and low-cost production of high-performance thermal insulation materials”. 

This work attracted the attention of the American Ceramic Society, which reported on it and another related study and noted that this potential new insulation material could take up less space and eventually be lower in cost than traditional fiberglass and other insulating  materials.