Thin aerogel materials
The present invention provides a fiber-reinforced aerogel material which can be used as insulation in thermal battery applications. The fiber-reinforced aerogel material is highly durable, flexible, and has a thermal performance that exceeds the insulation materials currently used in thermal battery applications. The fiber-reinforced aerogel insulation material can be as thin as 1 mm less, and can have a thickness variation as low as 2% or less. Also provided is a method for improving the performance of a thermal battery by incorporating a reinforced aerogel material into the thermal battery. Further provided is a casting method for producing thin fiber-reinforced aerogel materials.
1. A battery comprising an insulation material, wherein the insulation material comprises a reinforced aerogel composition, wherein the insulation material comprises a layer having an average thickness of from 1 mm to 10 mm and a thickness variation of from 5% to 15%.
2. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the reinforced aerogel composition comprises an organic aerogel.
3. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the reinforced aerogel composition comprises a silica-based framework.
4. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the reinforced aerogel composition has a thermal conductivity of between about 12 mW/mK and about 20 mW/mK.
5. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the insulation material comprises a layer having an average thickness of less than 5 mm and a thickness variation of less than 15%.
6. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the reinforced aerogel composition comprises an inorganic reinforcement material.
7. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the reinforced aerogel composition comprises an organic reinforcement material.
8. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the reinforced aerogel composition comprises a fiber reinforcement material.
9. The battery of claim 1 , wherein the insulation material has a resilience of from 50% to 95%.
10. A battery comprising an insulation sheet, wherein the insulation sheet comprises a reinforced aerogel composition, the insulation sheet having:
resilience of more than 50%; and
an average thickness of 10 mm or less and a thickness variation of less than 15%.
11. The battery of claim 10 , wherein the reinforced aerogel composition comprises an organic aerogel composition.
12. The battery of claim 10 , wherein the reinforced aerogel composition comprises silica-based framework.
13. The battery of claim 10 , wherein the insulation sheet has a thermal conductivity of between about 12 mW/mK and about 20 mW/mK.
14. The battery of claim 10 , wherein the resulting reinforced aerogel composition has an average thickness of less than 3 mm.
15. The battery of claim 10 , wherein the resulting reinforced aerogel composition has an average thickness of less than 5 mm.
16. The battery of claim 10 , wherein the reinforced aerogel composition has a resilience of more than 75%.
17. The battery of claim 10 , wherein the reinforced aerogel composition has a resilience of more than 90%.
18. The battery of claim 10 , wherein the reinforced aerogel composition has a thermal conductivity of between about 12 mW/mK and about 20 mW/mK.
19. The battery of claim 10 , wherein the reinforced aerogel composition comprises an inorganic reinforcement material.
20. The battery of claim 10 , wherein the reinforced aerogel composition comprises an organic reinforcement material.
21. The battery of claim 10 , wherein the reinforced aerogel composition comprises a fiber reinforcement material.