A novel aerogel from thermal power plant waste for thermal and acoustic insulation applications

Massive quantities of fly ash are produced worldwide from thermal power plants, posing a serious environmental threat due to their storage and disposal problems. In this study, for the first time, fly ash is converted into an advanced and novel aerogel through a green and eco-friendly process. The developed aerogel has a low density of 0.10-0.19 g cm(-3), a high porosity of up to 90%, a low thermal conductivity of 0.042-0.050 W/mK, and a good sound absorption coefficient (noise reduction coefficient [NRC] value of 0.20-0.30). It also shows a high compressive Young's modulus of up to 150 kPa. Therefore, the newly developed fly ash aerogel is a potential material for thermal and acoustic insulation applications, along with lightweight composites in automotive and aerospace applications. (C) 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.