Stinging hot weather can interfere with activities, especially those that require you to be outside. This hot weather still makes you sultry even though you are in a room with air conditioning. Of course, to always feel comfortable indoors, you need a solution to dispel heat, one of which is the right insulation arrangement.
Now, there are many choices of commercial materials, one of which is aerogel. Even though some of you may be unfamiliar with this ingredient, after researching it, it turns out that there are many benefits to this ingredient. So, what are the advantages of aerogel insulation?
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Environmentally Friendly Material Solution
Initially, the sun’s heat will affect the building walls or roof and other exterior parts. The heat that enters the room comes from solar heat via three methods: convection, conduction, and radiation. After that, the walls and roof will absorb the sun’s heat so that the room becomes hot.
That is why comfort during indoor activities is disturbed because the body gets hot quickly. There are several ways to resist this heat, including the most common is installing insulation in the wall area. The materials in insulators also vary. Generally, people use fiberglass, cellulose, liquid foam, concrete, foam board, or aerogel.
Aerogel attracts attention because it is a unique material. Aerogel is a very light material, a gel-like solid that is almost as light as air while still maintaining a solid structure. So, insulation in aerospace products or projects often uses this material. Can aerogel be used as an insulation material for houses or buildings?
The answer is, yes. Although initially it was mostly used for large projects in the space sector. This is related to the lack of mass production of aerogel and the price which tends to be expensive. So its use is very limited, not everyone can buy and use it.
As technology develops, many companies are manufacturing aerogels for the general public and industry. Aerogel production will be easy due to the support of increasingly sophisticated technology. As a result, the price of aerogel will be more affordable so that more people will apply it for insulation needs in houses and other buildings.
An Environmentally Friendly Alternative Material to Aerogel
Aerogel is generally a very light material and has many applications in insulation. The material used to make aerogel is metal oxide, silica, and polymer. However, recently it has used paper as its constituent material. The good news is that aerogel made from paper is not only affordable but also environmentally friendly.
Using paper materials is also a step toward recycling paper waste. In this way, paper waste will be reduced and the use of chemicals will also be minimal. Meanwhile, the quality is also high with aerogel characteristics that are strong and can be easily broken down by the environment.
Even though it comes from paper waste, this aerogel still has the properties of a material like aerogel from a mixture of chemicals. With low thermal conductivity, this new aerogel has several unique features, one of which is its high ability to absorb oil. These aerogels can be up to four times higher than currently available commercial absorbent agents. By squeezing, this step can recover more than 99 percent of the absorbed crude oil, so we can reuse it.
If this research finds permission for mass manufacturing then this will be a good breakthrough. People can use it commercially in various packaging, winter clothing, and oil cleaning. The results of this aerogel production can also be an alternative aerogel insulation material that is more environmentally friendly.
Conclusion
The increasing issue of climate change means we start being more careful in using various environmentally friendly products, including products for insulation. Now, breakthroughs promote the concept of green insulation. It is a collection of sound and air temperature insulation materials made from eco-friendly materials.
The use of green insulation materials is crucial and is increasing due to the awareness of people who want to contribute to environmental sustainability. You can find more environmentally friendly insulation, especially in buildings with green building designs.
Aerogel insulation is insulation with a gel material that is almost as light as air while still maintaining a solid structure. When you want to use this material, you need to know several things because there are many types of aerogel. Cellulose aerogel is a type of green insulation category. You have to be careful because there are similar items namely silica aerogel. They have almost the same appearance, but silica aerogel’s production process may involve chemicals that make it less environmentally friendly compared to cellulose-based aerogel.