According to the evaluation of the China Petroleum Pipeline Technology Research Center, taking the insulation application of 350-degree Celsius steam pipelines as an example, compared with traditional insulation materials, the thickness of the insulation layer of aerogel can be reduced by 2/3, saving more than 40% of energy consumption, and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 125 tons per kilometer of pipeline per year.

Data show that in 2021, the demand for aerogels in the oil and gas field accounted for 56% of the total demand, with another 18% used for industrial insulation, 9% for building construction, and 8% for transportation. The National New Materials Industry Development Strategy Advisory Committee pointed out in the "2022 Aerogel Industry Research Report" that the use of aerogel flame-retardant materials in new energy vehicle battery core modules can increase the high temperature tolerance of battery packs to more than 800 degrees Celsius. With the development of the new energy vehicle industry, aerogels are widely used in new energy vehicles and energy storage industries, and demand is expected to continue to increase.

Aerogels are developing rapidly. Li Weike, an analyst at the Institute of International Technology and Economy of the Development Research Center of the State Council, said that in recent years, researchers in China, the United States, Europe and other countries and regions have developed a variety of new aerogels such as biomass-based aerogels, graphene aerogels, and polymer aerogels by improving the aerogel preparation process. It is worth mentioning that biomass raw materials are widely available, low-cost, and rich in carbon sources. Using biomass raw materials to prepare environmentally friendly porous carbon fiber aerogels is an economical and sustainable production method. Therefore, biomass-based aerogels have also become a hot topic of research.

For example, the team of Academician Yu Shuhong of the University of Science and Technology of China has developed superelastic cellulose aerogels. The cellulose aerogels show superelasticity that does not change with temperature from room temperature to minus 196 degrees Celsius, excellent fatigue resistance, etc., and have great insulation potential in harsh environments. Moreover, the materials used in the preparation are all biomass raw materials, which is expected to solve the environmental pollution problems caused by energy-intensive technologies and petrochemical materials, and is an ideal substitute for traditional non-renewable aerogels.

The team of researcher Lu Yun of the Institute of Wood Industry of the Chinese Academy of Forestry used wood as the matrix to composite inorganic and organic aerogels with wood skeleton matrix, and pioneered the third generation of wood cellulose aerogels. By regulating the cellulose of wood and biomass waste, the specific surface area of cellulose is increased by 7 orders of magnitude, the oil adsorption capacity is 75 to 300 times its own mass, the volume usage is reduced by 50%~75%, and it is degradable and renewable.