Traditional solid aerogels used in window-insulation materials have to be packed in a special design such as in a polymer double skin-sheet between two gaps and two glass panes, or casted in thicker inhomogeneous polymer films, all of which suffer from low visibility. Herein, we propose a transformational method to fabricate thin insulating adhesives and films using porous liquids with significantly improved homogeneity and highly transparency. The porous liquid is optically transparent, nonvolatile, thermally stable, and homogeneous. The porosity of these porous liquids can exceed those of traditional aerogels, highlighting a new class of liquid and adaptive aerogels that can mitigate the drawbacks associated with the solid aerogel technology. The porous liquid is a highly homogenous material and eliminates the aggregation of particles during film processing. The porous liquids significantly reduce the thermal conductivity of the adhesives and films without interfering with the visible light. Following the same synthesis strategy, novel transparent, homogenous, and thermally stable porous liquid adhesives and films are fabricated.
Inventors
Huimin Luo Energy & Transportation Science Division, Shannon M Mahurin Chemical Sciences Division, Sheng Dai Chemical Sciences Division, Xiao-Guang Sun Chemical Sciences Division
Contact
To learn more about this technology, email [email protected] or call 865-574-1051.