HIGH-PERFORMANCE THERMAL INSULATION MATERIALS

• US 20120326071A1
• Filed: 02/03/2011
• Published: 12/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saint-Gobain Isover (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Original Assignee: Saint-Gobain Isover (Compagnie De Saint-Gobain)
• Inventors: Da Silva, Claude, Pasquero, Daniela
• Granted Patent: US 9,045,609 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 252/62
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2205/026 Aerogel, i.e. a supercritically dried gel
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2321/02 Latex
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2333/00 Characterised by the use of homopolymers or copolymers of compounds having one or more unsaturated aliphatic radicals, each having only one carbon-to-carbon double bond, and only one being terminated by only one carboxyl radical, or of salts, anhydrides, esters, amides, imides, or nitriles thereof; Derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2425/08 Copolymers of styrene C08J2429/08, C08J2435/06, C08J2455/02 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2433/08 Homopolymers or copolymers of acrylic acid esters
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 9/0061 characterized by the use of several polymeric components
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 9/0066 Use of inorganic compounding ingredients
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 9/30 by mixing gases into liquid compositions or plastisols, e.g. frothing with air
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 1/7604 fillings for cavity walls
• CPC Class Codes: E04B 2001/742 Use of special materials; Materials having special structures or shape

Abstract

Thermal insulation material capable of being obtained from the mixture of at least the following elements:

• • an aqueous foam;
  • silica aerogel particles; and
  • at least one binder selected from an organic binder and a mineral binder.

Claims

1. A thermal insulation material, obtained from a mixture comprising:

an aqueous foam;

silica aerogel particles; and

a binder comprising an organic binder, a mineral binder, or a mixture thereof.

2. The thermal insulation material of claim 1, wherein the mixture comprises, relative to a total weight of the mixture;

from 25 to 75% of the aqueous foam;

from 5 to 35% of the silica aerogel particles; and

from 5 to 35% of the binder.

3. The thermal insulation material of claim 2, wherein the mixture comprises, relative to a total weight of the mixture:

from 35 to 65% of aqueous foam;

from 17 to 25% of the silica aerogel particles; and

from 17 to 25% of the binder.

4. The thermal insulation material of claim 1, wherein the aqueous foam comprises:

i) a cationic surfactant salt of formula (I);

5. The thermal insulation material of claim 4, wherein the cationic surfactant salt is dodecyltrimethylammonium bromide, dodecyltrimethylammonium chloride, tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide, tetradecyltrimethylammonium chloride, hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide, hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride, octadecyltrimethylammonium bromide, octadecyltrimethylammonium chloride, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, cetyltrimethylammonium chloride, cetylbenzyldimethylammonium chloride, cetyltriethylammonium bromide, (tallow)trimethylammonium chloride, or any mixture thereof.

6. The thermal insulation material of claim 4, wherein the cationic surfactant salt is (tallow)trimethylammonium chloride.

7. The thermal insulation material of claim 4, wherein the anionic surfactant salt is ammonium stearate, potassium stearate, sodium stearate, or any mixture thereof.

8. The thermal insulation material of claim 1, wherein the aqueous foam comprises a mixture comprising water, glycerol, a surfactant, and a zwitterion.

9. The thermal insulation material of claim 8, wherein the aqueous foam comprises, based on a total weight of the aqueous foam:

from 35 to 45% of glycerol;

less than 0.5% of dodecyl polyoxyethylene-3-sulfate;

less than 0.5% of cocamidopropyl betaine; and

less than 0.05% of myristic acid.

10. The thermal insulation material of claim 1, wherein the binder is a latex.

11. The thermal insulation material of claim 10, wherein latex has a glass transition temperature T_g below 50°

C.

12. The thermal insulation material of claim 1, having a thermal conductivity of less than or equal to 23 mW/m.K.

13. The thermal insulation material of claim 1, having a thermal conductivity of less than or equal to 19 mW/m.K.

14. The thermal insulation material of claim 1, having a density of less than or equal to 150 kg/m³.

15. The thermal insulation material of claim 1, having a density of less than or equal to 100 kg/m³.

16. A process for manufacturing the thermal insulation material of claim 1, the process comprising:

a) mixing the aqueous foam with the binder, to form an intermediate mixture;

b) adding a silica aerogel powder to the intermediate mixture while agitating or mixing, thereby obtaining the mixture; and

c) drying the mixture to obtain the thermal insulation material.

17. The process of claim 16, further comprising:

shaping the material during the drying c).

18. The process of claim 16, further comprising, prior to a):

a′

) agitating a mixture comprising a cationic surfactant salt, to obtain a first mixture; and

then

a″

) adding an aqueous solution comprising the anionic surfactant to the first mixture, to obtain the aqueous foam.

19. The thermal insulation material of claim 4, wherein the weight ratio of the cationic surfactant salt to the anionic surfactant salt is from 0.2:

1 to 5;

1.

20. The thermal insulation material of claim 4, wherein the weight ratio of the cationic surfactant salt to the anionic surfactant salt is from 0.4:

1 to 2.5;

1.