Aerogels have good thermal insulation properties; are they widely used in chemical plants for insulation? ? ?
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Since aerogels have a high thermal insulation coefficient, less thickness or space is required for an aerogel insulation layer to achieve the same level of insulation. The diagram below shows the thickness required for aerogels and traditional insulation materials when achieving the same insulating effect.
It is used less; rock wool, calcium silicate, and aluminum silicate are used more often
Since it was all agreed upon, why is it not being used as much?
There are still many applications for large-scale chemical projects. The cost is still a bit high at the moment. In addition to their excellent insulation properties, aerogels are also fire and water resistant, and they are widely used in new energy vehicles. They are also widely used in power steam pipelines. If the cost can be reduced a bit, it would have great potential
It depends on the added value of the product; products with high added value can be considered for use.
Now there are domestic options available, and the cost has also decreased significantly
It is not used much due to its high cost; its price is more than ten times that of conventional insulation materials.
According to evaluations by the China Petroleum Pipeline Technology Research Center, taking the insulation application in steam pipelines at 350°C as an example, compared to traditional insulation materials, aerogels reduce the required insulation thickness by 2/3, resulting in energy savings of over 40%; moreover, they enable a reduction of 125 tons of carbon dioxide emissions per kilometer of pipeline per year. I’m not sure how much it’s used by Chinese petroleum companies
10 millimeters costs 60 yuan per square meter; one cubic meter is therefore around 6,000 yuan. The price of alternative rock wool pipes is more or less the same