Ultralight and compressive SiC nanowires aerogel for high-temperature thermal insulation

Aerogels with excellent properties combination of ultralow density and great thermal insulation are drawing attention to applications in harsh conditions.Common aerogels,however,are usually constructed with nanoparticles with a weakness in physical combination.The silicon carbide nano wire(SiC_(NW)) is a kind of one-dimensional(1D) nano wire possessing the promising properties of flexibility,great thermal insulation,and stability at high temperatures.An aerogel constructed by the SiC_(NW) will produce a great material with a promising material,the amazing SiC_(NW) aerogel.Here,a novel SiC_(NW) aerogel was fabricated consisting of quantities of β-SiC_(NW) of15-40 nm in diameter and tens to hundreds of micrometers in length.This SiC_(NW) aerogel possessed an ultralow density of 5.82 mg·cm^(-3),high-temperature resistance,and great thermal insulation with its thermal conductivities of0.063 W·m^(-1)·K^(-1) at 100℃ and 0.243 W·m^(-1)·K^(-1) at900℃ in He.Furthermore,the thermal insulation applicability of this aerogel was simulated.This study provides a promising way for designing and fabricating other multifunctional nanowire aerogels for high-temperature thermal insulation.