Radially and axially oriented ammonium alginate aerogels modified with clay/tannic acid and crosslinked with glutaraldehyde

Lightweight materials that combine high mechanical strength, insulation, and fire resistance are of great interest to many industries. This work explores the properties of environmentally friendly alginate aerogel composites as potential sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based materials. This st...

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Detalhes bibliográficos
Autores: Cruz Jesús, Lucía Guadalupe de la|||0000-0001-9009-4503, Abt, Tobias Martin|||0000-0002-4351-8155, León Albiter, Noel|||0000-0003-1061-8552, Sánchez Soto, Miguel|||0000-0002-0023-5059
Formato: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2024
País:España
Recursos:Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)
Repositorio:UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:upcommons.upc.edu:2117/415637
Acesso em linha:https://hdl.handle.net/2117/415637
https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/gels10080526
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palavra-chave:Aerogel
Freeze-drying
Ammonium alginate
Tannic acid
Montmorillonite
Crosslinking
Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Enginyeria dels materials
Descrição
Resumo:Lightweight materials that combine high mechanical strength, insulation, and fire resistance are of great interest to many industries. This work explores the properties of environmentally friendly alginate aerogel composites as potential sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based materials. This study analyzes the effects of two additives (tannic acid and montmorillonite clay), the orientation that results during casting, and the crosslinking of the biopolymer with glutaraldehyde on the properties of the aerogel composites. The prepared aerogels exhibited high porosities between 90% and 97% and densities in the range of 0.059–0.191 g/cm3. Crosslinking increased the density and resulted in excellent performance under loading conditions. In combination with axial orientation, Young’s modulus and yield strength reached values as high as 305 MPa·cm3/g and 7 MPa·cm3/g, respectively. Moreover, the alginate-based aerogels exhibited very low thermal conductivities, ranging from 0.038 W/m·K to 0.053 W/m·K. Compared to pristine alginate, the aerogel composites’ thermal degradation rate decreased substantially, enhancing thermal stability. Although glutaraldehyde promoted combustion, the non-crosslinked aerogel composites demonstrated high fire resistance. No flame was observed in these samples under cone calorimeter radiation, and a minuscule peak of heat release of 21 kW/m2 was emitted as a result of their highly efficient graphitization and fire suppression. The combination of properties of these bio-based aerogels demonstrates their potential as substituents for their fossil-based counterparts.