Scale variation enhancement on heat transfer performance of cubic-like polymeric aerogel: With regard to structural parameters

Abstract

This article aims to analyze heat transfer behavior based on morphological investigation of polymeric novolac aerogel insulation material. In other words, a nano-scale cubic-like structural model was proposed in consideration of novolac aerogel homogeneity only by using FESEM image in order to review scale effect on heat transfer and also structure related variables. The results show that aerogel colloids scale variation from micro to nano has remarkable influence on microstructure properties such as porosity, density, wall thickness, effective thermal conductivity the same as heat transfer performance. Results validation with experimental data turned out to be in acceptable resemblance that introduces structural model as decent and accurate means to be implemented in heat transfer phenomena prediction and optimization of polymeric aerogel.

Highlights

• Cubic-like structural model for polymeric aerogel was proposed only by morphological investigations.

• Aerogel structural dependent variables were derived due to cubic- like structure model.

• Aerogel thermophysical properties were evaluated by using experimental and morphological analysis.