Experimental investigation of thermal insulating aerogel composites of hydrothermal reactor for biomass-to-hydrogen conversion

Abstract

The paper presents aerogel SiO2–TiO2 composites used for thermal insulation of hydrothermal reactor for biomass-to-hydrogen conversion and the method of their production. The technology of aerogel composites production includes the following stages: ion exchange of liquid Na-glass resulting in production of silica hydrosol; hydrosol concentration; hydrogel production and its maturing; SiO2–TiO2 alcogel production; modification of its surface; subcritical drying of alcogel resulting in production of SiO2–TiO2 ambigel; its thermal treatment, granulating and classification. The influences of infrared opacifier (titanium dioxide) and thermal treatment temperature of SiO2–TiO2 composite on its structural and thermal characteristics have been investigated. Possibilities of hydrogen yield increase by reduction of power waste by means of vacuumized thermal insulation for reactor walls have been examined.