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Polyimide (PI) foams possess excellent mechanical properties, high-temperature resistance, and other unique properties, which facilitate impact in aerospace, automotive, and microelectronics industries. However, when they are used as lightweight insulation structural layers for high-temperature carbon fiber reinforced composites, improvement in thermal-insulating properties and temperature resistance of PI foams without compromising the flexibility in extreme environments is a challenging task. In this study, the flexible blocks were linked into rigid polymeric structures to fabricate a thermoplastic structure through a simple aqueous strategy to construct hydrogen-bonding networks. Thus, with a low shrinkage of 8.42%, an ultrahigh compressive modulus of 11.17 MPa, and a specific modulus of 81.03 MPa cm3 g−1 was successfully achieved. Benefitting from the formation of ultra-strong network backbones, foams showed excellent thermal-insulating properties and temperature resistance. The robust porous material with thermal-insulating properties (0.0481 W m−1 K−1) exhibited a compression modulus of 4.21 MPa after heat treatment at 300 °C and maintained 91% strength retention, thus it can be used as lightweight heat-insulation composite sandwich structures up to 300 °C. The copolymer foam obtained by using 30 mol% flexible blocks reserves its high flexibility undergoing only 10% dimensional changes after 40,000 compression-release cycles. The lightweight thermoplastic PI foams with flexibility, thermal-insulating properties, and temperature resistance can be used for high-temperature lightweight composite sandwich structures in aeronautics and space exploration. Preparing flexible thermoplastic polyimide foams with exceptional mechanical, thermal insulating properties, and temperature resistance through a simple aqueous strategy. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low density, high strength, together with good thermal insulation are desirable but hard to achieve simultaneously for lightweight cementitious composites. This work addresses the preparation of a novel lightweight cementitious composite (HP-LWCC) by employing the hot-pressing method and optimizing the insulating particles packing. The main raw materials are glass microspheres (GB), fly ash cenospheres (FAC), white Portland cement (PW), aluminum cement (AC), and silica fume (SF). Results showed that HP-LWCC specimens with density of 800–1200 kg/m3 exhibited superior mechanical properties and thermal insulation. Their flexural strength, compressive strength, and thermal conductivity achieved 7.5–10 MPa, 30–51 MPa, and 0.16–0.29 W/(mK), respectively. The microstructure results show that the packing of glass microspheres, which are tightly bridged by the hydration products, significantly refines the pore morphology, forming a denser cementitious matrix. The hot-pressing method benefits the reaction of aluminum cement and the alignment of fibers, resulting in high strength and flexural toughness. Based on the Compressible Packing Model, it is found that the optimized particles packing of HP-LWCC can decrease the porosity of specimens and improve the strength. Such HP-LWCC material provides a potentially solution in developing thermal insulated construction applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomass-derived aerogels have received extensive attention as potential thermal management materials for energy-efficient buildings. However, it remains a huge challenge to fabricate a fully bio-based aerogel with excellent mechanical property, flame retardancy, and low thermal conductivity. Herein, we demonstrate a novel and facile strategy to manufacture a fully biomass-based aerogel from naturally abundant ammonium alginate (AL) and phytic acid (PA), in which PA acting as both flame retardant and cross-linking components constructs a strong network with AL matrix. Consequently, the resultant biomass aerogel with a low density of 0.052 g/cm3 exhibits ultrahigh mechanical modulus (25.1 ± 3.1 MPa) and specific modulus (440.4 ± 54.4 MPa cm3·g−1), much superior to those of biomass aerogels ever reported. Due to the existence of the uniform three-dimensional porous network, the biomass aerogels exhibit low thermal conductivity (34–38 mW/m·K) and excellent thermal insulation performances. Further, the introduction of PA endows the aerogel with high flame retardancy (limiting oxygen index value of 57%, UL-94 V-0 rating, and extremely low heat release), while the biodegradability of the materials keeps at a high level with a biodegradation rate of 91.43%. Combining with the advantages of mechanically strong property, high flame retardancy, excellent thermal insulation, and biodegradation, the aerogel of this work provides a new strategy to fabricate thermal insulation materials with high environmental safety. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Advanced composite aerogel materials have attracted much attention due to the unique structure and properties. However, the efficient manufacturing process and structural stability were still a challenge. Herein, a novel hydroxyapatite nanowires/polyimide (HAnws/PI) composite aerogel was synthesized by the ultralong HAnws combined with polyamic acid via directional freezing and thermal imidization. Among them, the HAnws and PI intertwined to form a three-dimensional network structure, which decreased the volume shrinkage of aerogel in thermal imidization from 42.9% to 12.6%, resulting in high porosity (>96%) and low density (0.0329–0.0431 g cm−3). In addition, the HAnws/PI aerogel with layered porous structure exhibits obvious anisotropic mechanical properties. The axial specific modulus as high as 78.05 kN m kg−1 and radial high elasticity can withstand 100 cycles of fatigue resistance. Moreover, the lowest radial thermal conductivity at 32.21 mW m−1 K−1 and the maximum of the anisotropy factor was 2.2, which was very suitable for insulation pipes to prevent additional heat loss. Therefore, the novel nanofibers reinforced organic aerogel was expected to provide more abundant functional applications in energy efficiency. [Display omitted] • HAnws can effectively inhibit the volume shrinkage of HAnws/PI aerogel. • The composite aerogel with tubular pores was prepared by directional freezing. • HAnws/PI aerogel exhibited anisotropic mechanical properties and thermal insulation. • HAnws/PI aerogel showed a low radial thermal conductivity and the maximum of the anisotropy factor was 2.2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]