Due to its extremely low density, high specific surface area and high porosity, aerogels exhibit unique optical, thermal, acoustic and electrical properties, which make them have broad application potential in many fields. At present, the most commercially successful aerogel product in the world is the felt product made of SiO ₂ aerogel and glass fiber. This glass fiber aerogel composite felt not only retains the low thermal conductivity of the aerogel, but also has the characteristics of flexibility and high tensile strength, making the construction easy. Compared with traditional thermal insulation materials, glass fiber aerogel felt has significant advantages in many aspects, such as thermal conductivity, mechanical properties, waterproof and fire resistance. Its flame retardant, thermal insulation, heat insulation, sound insulation, and shock absorption functions make it widely used in various fields such as new energy vehicles, construction, and industry. In addition, it can also be used as a substrate for fiberglass composite materials and industrial high-temperature filtration materials, as well as basic decorative panels for indoor decoration. In order to help you better understand glass fiber aerogel felt and make full use of its advantages, we will introduce its production process in detail.

The preparation methods of SiO ₂ aerogel composites are diverse, including in-situ method, immersion method, chemical vapor infiltration method and molding method. In the preparation of fiber reinforced SiO ₂ aerogel composites, in-situ method and molding method are particularly common. The production process of glass fiber aerogel mat mainly includes the following key steps: first, pretreatment of glass fiber, including cleaning and drying, to ensure its quality and purity; The next step is to prepare aerogel sol, which is similar to the preparation of ordinary aerogel felt, that is, to form a uniform sol by mixing and heating silicon source compounds such as silica with solvent; Finally, the glass fiber cloth or yarn is soaked and coated in the sol to make the fiber fully contact with the aerogel sol.

Gel curing
The sol coated with fiber is subjected to gel treatment, and the aerogel is promoted to form a hard gel structure by heating, pressurizing or using chemical crosslinking agents.

Solvent removal
This step is similar to the production of conventional aerogel felt. The solvent in the gel needs to be completely removed, leaving a pure solid aerogel structure.

Heat treatment strengthening
Heat treat the glass fiber aerogel felt after solvent removal to improve its stability and mechanical properties. The temperature and duration of heat treatment can be flexibly adjusted according to actual needs.

Cutting and Forming
After heat treatment, glass fiber aerogel felt can be cut and shaped according to the required shape and size.

Surface post-treatment (optional)
In order to meet specific application requirements, the surface of glass fiber aerogel felt can be additionally treated, such as coating, covering addition or functional modification.