Evaluation of Thermal Conductivity of Resorcinol-Formaldehyde Aerogel

Resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF) aerogel was synthetized by the aqueous polycondensation of resorcinol with formaldehyde under subcritical conditions. RF aerogels with densities ranging from to 0.052 , pore sizes ranging from 15 to 22 nm, and particle diameters ranging from 42 to 70 nm were prepared. Thermal conductivity measurements by laser flash method indicate that the lowest thermal conductivity can be obtained at a density of 0.046 g/cm3, at the 55 and 100 ̊C in air. The lowest thermal conductivity was 0.033 W/m K at 55 ̊C. The characteristic density, at which the lowest thermal conductivity can be obtained, is temperature dependent