Aerogels have gained popularity in recent years, with the total global aerogel market expected to grow at a very high rate of 19.3 % from 2012 to 2017 and projected to reach global revenues of $332.2 million by 2017. The thermal and acoustic insulation sector accounted for 82.3% of all revenues in 2012 and shows the most potential growth.
This technology makes use of cellulose material derived from waste paper and cardboard, which is one of the largest municipal waste sources generated throughout the world, to synthesize biodegradable and environmentally friendly aerogels. The technology uses modified alkaline/urea and freeze drying / supercritical drying process to achieve a cost effective synthesis process.
The cellulose aerogel could be modified with different proprietary recipes to alter the absorption properties of the aerogel and optimized for high absorbance applications for (i) polar liquids e.g. water, or (ii) non-polar liquids e.g. oil.
In addition, cellulose aerogels have intrinsically very low thermal and acoustic conductivity properties. The aerogels could also be optimized for use in thermal or acoustic insulation by coating its porous structure with a hydrophobic material. The improved hydrophobicity makes the aerogel water repellent and thus suitable for usage in tropical climate. The developed process know-how (including recipes and methods) is suitable for scaling up for mass production.