Loss Of Hydrophobicity Research Articles

Fluorinated waterborne polyurethane/SiO₂ nanoparticle dispersions for superhydrophobic foam fabrication: Physicochemical properties and oil/water separation studies

The rapid development of chemical industries and oil spills during extraction and transportation have caused severe environmental pollution. Polyurethane foams “PUF” are widely used to remove oil from water due to their three-dimensional porous networks, which provide high absorption capacity. However, their effectiveness in oil/water separation applications, may decrease with repeated use as a result of structural and chemical degradation, and loss of hydrophobicity. In this research, to address this limitation and increase in their long-term stability and durability, fluorinated waterborne polyurethanes containing Fluorolink E10-H-modified nano-silica (WPU/Fl@SiO2) were synthesized and applied to coat PUFs by the dip-coating technique. This strategy offers several advantages, including low VOC emissions, a one-stage and scalable modification method, minimal material usage, and reduced time and energy consumption. The prepared nanostructures, WPU nanocomposites, and modified foams were analyzed by FTIR, XRD, TGA, DLS, FE-SEM, contact angle, and oil/solvents removal tests. The findings confirmed that the PUF/W10 sample, coated with WPU-Fl@SiO2 containing 10 wt% of nanostructures, in addition to the high surface roughness, has the highest contact angle (164.9°) and superior adsorption capacity for Xylene (42 g/g) and ethyl acetate (52 g/g). Moreover PUF/W10 sample showed an acceptable oil/water performance after 50 absorption cycles compared to unmodified and other modified foam samples The PUF/W10 sample performed well in different temperature ranges and corrosive environments, including acidic, alkaline, and strong salt solutions. Moreover, this foam displayed a continuous, efficient, and selective oil/water separation capability under a simple vacuum system. This research highlights the potential of PUFs coated with WPU-Fl@SiO2 aqueous dispersion as effective and durable materials for oil/solvent separation from water.

Preparation and performance of hydrophobic two-component polyurethane clearcoats based on perfluoro alcohol modified polyisocyanate hardener

In this study, three perfluoro alcohol with different fluoroalkyl chain length, i.e., 3,3,3-trifluoro-1-propanol (TEOH1), 2-perfluorobutyl ethanol (TEOH4), 2-perfluorohexyl ethanol (TEOH6), were first reacted with polyisocyanate to get hardeners bearing various contents and lengths of fluoroalkyl chain. The fluorinated polyisocyanate hardener was then adopted to fabricate hydrophobic two-component polyurethane (2K PU) clearcoats. The highest water contact angles (WCAs) of the hydrophobic 2K PU clearcoats with no haze and non-sticky surface are 91.9°, 101.6° and 106°, achieved at the perfluoro alcohol dosage of 10 %, 20 % and 20 % for TEOH1, TEOH4 and TEOH6, respectively. Accelerated weathering and outdoor exposure tests were adopted to examine the hydrophobicity durability of the perfluoro alcohol-modified coatings, and dirt pick-up resistance (DPUR) outdoors was also monitored. All coatings showed decreased WCAs in weathering tests. Nevertheless, WCAs of coatings with ≥20 % TEOH4 and ≥5 % TEOH6 remained hydrophobicity after 228-day outdoor exposure. Loss of hydrophobicity is attributed to the oxidation of PU matrix, removal of free perfluoro alcohol-modified polyisocyanate and embedding of silicate dirt. Improved DPUR of 2K PU clearcoat was demonstrated outdoors after incorporation of perfluoro alcohol, especially for the cases with TEOH4 and TEOH6 under an adequate dosage. As a whole, longer fluoroalkyl chain favors the acquisition of both higher hydrophobicity, better hydrophobicity durability, and better outdoor DPUR.

Simultaneous accelerated stress testing of membrane electrode assembly components in polymer electrolyte fuel cells

The durability of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) in fuel cell electric vehicles is important for the shift from passenger cars to heavy-duty vehicles. The components of a PEFC, namely the proton exchange membrane (PEM), catalyst layer (CL), and gas diffusion layer (GDL), contribute to the degradation of the fuel cell performance. In this paper, we propose a method for simultaneously evaluating the degradation rates of these components by combining electrochemical characterization with operando synchrotron X-ray radiography. The open-circuit voltage, electrochemically active surface area (ECSA), and water saturation were used as the degradation indicators for the PEMs, CLs, and GDLs, respectively. The results of two accelerated stress tests (loading and start-stop cycles) after 10,000 cycles showed that the increase in water saturation owing to the loss of hydrophobicity due to carbon corrosion in the cathode GDL occurred on the same timescale as the degradation in the PEM and cathode CL. Specifically, during the load cycle AST, the cathode CL degraded with a 26% reduction in the ECSA along with the cathode GDL degradation with a 10% increase in water saturation. This suggests that more efforts should be devoted to studies on the durability of GDLs for heavy-duty applications.

Improved Understanding of PEMFC Stack Durability Testing through Comprehensive In-Situ and Ex-Situ Characterization Techniques

Durability testing of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells for mobile applications remains a critical challenge. While most academic studies focus on single-cell testing, there are only few publications on stack testing of technical relevant sizes. This study utilizes comprehensive characterization techniques to enhance understanding of PEMFC stack durability, aiming to meet the currently targeted durability targets. A 5,500-hour long-term test, based on the Auto Stack Industry (ASI) test protocol, was performed on a 7-cell short stack of 240 cm² active area. In-situ techniques, such as spatially resolved current density measurement, cyclic voltammetry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, provided real-time degradation insights, while ex-situ methods, including FIB-SEM analysis, infrared thermography or contact angle measurements provided information on material degradation mechanisms. Membrane degradation was found to be negligible. Slight thinning of the cathode indicates carbon corrosion of the catalyst support. Catalyst aging was observed in the form of Pt band formation and Co leaching. Gas diffusion layers showed hydrophobicity loss, and increased resistance in bipolar plates contributed to reduced performance. Our findings demonstrate that PEMFC stacks operated under automotive drive cycle protocols can meet the actual targeted durability objectives. Moreover, it illustrates the degradation phenomena that occur under realistic operating conditions and modes, and how they evolve over the duration of thousands of hours of operation.

Improved Understanding of PEMFC Stack Durability Testing through Comprehensive In-Situ and Ex-Situ Characterization Techniques

Durability testing of Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells for mobile applications remains a critical challenge. While most academic studies focus on single-cell testing, there are only few publications on stack testing of technical relevant sizes. This study utilizes comprehensive characterization techniques to enhance understanding of PEMFC stack durability, aiming to meet the currently targeted durability targets. A 5,500-hour long-term test, based on the Auto Stack Industry (ASI) test protocol, was performed on a 7-cell short stack of 240 cm² active area. In-situ techniques, such as spatially resolved current density measurement, cyclic voltammetry, and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, provided real-time degradation insights, while ex-situ methods, including FIB-SEM analysis, infrared thermography or contact angle measurements provided information on material degradation mechanisms. Membrane degradation was found to be negligible. Slight thinning of the cathode indicates carbon corrosion of the catalyst support. Catalyst aging was observed in the form of Pt band formation and Co leaching. Gas diffusion layers showed hydrophobicity loss, and increased resistance in bipolar plates contributed to reduced performance. Our findings demonstrate that PEMFC stacks operated under automotive drive cycle protocols can meet the actual targeted durability objectives. Moreover, it illustrates the degradation phenomena that occur under realistic operating conditions and modes, and how they evolve over the duration of thousands of hours of operation.

Impact of damaged housing on the performance of field aged composite High Voltage Insulators

Composite High Voltage Insulators (HVIs) are lightweight, inexpensive, and offer superior pollution performance. Consequently, they have replaced ceramic HVIs in highly contaminating coastal and desert regions. However, they are prone to degradation in harsh environments. In this paper, we assess the performance of three identical field-aged 380 kV composite HVIs with a service life of twelve years near the western coastal region of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The housing of all the HVIs showed widespread damage, including cracks on sheds and shanks, partially or fully broken sheds, and rusted end fittings. The changes in morphology and material composition were assessed through SEM and EDX. An electrical breakdown test in the presence of steam fog revealed lowered withstand strength. Electric field distribution, a key design criterion for an HVI, was studied using the Finite Element Model (FEM) of the insulator bearing physical defects. The results reveal localized electric field intensification caused by all types of defects, notably smaller and narrower ones. Our findings indicate that while physical defects in HVIs can cause localized electric field intensification, they are not a significant concern unless accompanied by severe hydrophobicity loss, compromised electrical withstand levels, or extensive erosion exposing the fiberglass rod and jeopardizing mechanical stability.

Aging assessment of silicone rubber materials under corona discharge accompanied by humidity and UV radiation

Abstract High voltage (HV) outdoor insulators are subjected to both electrical and environmental stresses, which may lead to their failure. Among the causes, corona discharge, humidity and UV radiation are considered to be the most damaging factors. Efforts are therefore underway to investigate new materials for improving the performance of insulating systems. In this research work, silicone-based room temperature vulcanized samples filled with alumina trihydrate (ATH), silicon dioxide and magnesium hydroxide (MH) were prepared and exposed to AC corona discharge for a duration of 110 h. The electric discharge was also accompanied by UV radiation and two different humidity levels. Following aging of the test samples, diagnosis was conducted to assess their integrity. Measurements based on determining the static contact angle demonstrated the loss of hydrophobicity of all the materials, while hydrophobicity recovery phenomena revealed that ATH-doped materials demonstrated a comparatively higher increase in the contact angle than in samples filled with silicone dioxide (silica) and MH. Scanning electron microscopy analysis revealed deep cracks and block-like structures on their surfaces. Similarly, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis indicated the signs of surface oxidation of the aged samples. However, the data of elemental composition exhibited the loss of filler contents as well as that of carbon from the base matrix. The overall assessment showed that resistance to suppress aging is influenced by both the filler type and its concentration in the investigated composites. The ATH-filled composites exhibited outstanding performance when exposed to the rigors of corona discharge and other environmental stresses. This research contributes to materials science and HV engineering by addressing the development of composites for enhanced insulator performance, with future aspects lying in the utilization of nano-composites for advanced functionality and durability.

Impact of gas diffusion layer architecture on the performances of Cu-based electrodes for CO2 electroreduction to ethylene in flow reactors

Electrocatalytic CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) is a promising strategy to convert CO2 into fuels and building blocks for chemicals, exploiting renewable energy sources. Flow cells using gas diffusion electrodes (GDEs) instead of simple H-cells are required to achieve higher production rates. In a GDE, CO2 diffuses through a porous gas diffusion layer (GDL) and reaches the active sites located in the catalyst layer; the GDL is a crucial component that can affect the performance of the GDE. In this work, we aimed to establish the parameters of the GDL that influence the selectivity toward the different CO2 reduction products in an alkaline flow reactor. We employed commercial Cu nanoparticles as electrocatalyst and selected a range of market-available GDLs: the structure, composition, and type of cracks of the GDL greatly influence the Faradaic Efficiency (FE) of CO, H2, and ethylene (C2H4). With the emphasis on C2H4, it was found that using a crack-free GDE is essential to get higher FEC2H4. At the same time, larger and more abundant cracks are detrimental to C2H4 production and promote hydrogen evolution: for instance, the FEC2H4 varies in the wide range of 13–32%, from the highly cracked to the crack-free GDL. The presence of both sulfur and oxygen in the microporous layer (MPL) of the GDL helps shift the CO2RR selectivity toward CO. The (in)stability of the GDEs at high current density has been correlated with a change in the wetting properties of the GDE and a loss in hydrophobicity.

Hydrophobicity classification of polymeric insulators using a masked autoencoder model in vision transformer

The loss of hydrophobicity on the polymeric insulator’s surface leads to a continuous water channel formation. This water channel formation can initiate dry band arcing and subsequent flashover. Therefore, accurately identifying the hydrophobicity class is crucial as it provides the surface ageing information of the polymeric insulators. This study proposed a novel approach utilizing a masked autoencoder-based vision transformer image classifier to classify the hydrophobic condition of polymeric insulators accurately. A comprehensive series of tests were conducted on deep learning image classifier models to assess robustness. The experimental findings demonstrated that the vision transformer model exhibited a significant recognition accuracy of 99.69%, surpassing the performance of the CNN, pre-trained CNN, and ViT models.

Effect of cold plasma pretreatment on biodegradation of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polystyrene (PS)

AbstractCold atmospheric plasma (CAP) pretreatment of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and polystyrene (PS) was investigated to evaluate its effect on biodegradation. Weight and wettability measurement, surface topography, and roughness analysis were examined for physical properties evaluation. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-TR) analysis was conducted to understand the possible chemical transformation. Based on biofilm formation, the highest microbial colonisation was observed on the sample treated with CAP pretreatment + biotreatment, which was 0.56 and 0.19 (at OD 595 nm) for HDPE and PS, respectively. A biodeterioration effect characterised by weight loss and changes of hydrophobicity in which hydrophobicity reductions of 5.1 ± 0.64% and 12° ± 0.35° were observed with the pretreated HDPE within 50 days, respectively. No physical weight loss was detected in the PS sample, but significant surface corrosion was observed. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) also showed a higher surface degradation of 10 and 35% for CAP pretreated HDPE and PS incubated with microorganisms compared to virgin samples incubated in the same condition. Moreover, chemical transformation indicated a new peak (C–O) in CAP-pretreated PE samples before and after 50 days of biodegradation. The experiments with virgin HDPE and PS demonstrated a positive effect of the pretreatment on the biodegradation process.

Rolling droplets and partial discharges in AC electric field

High-voltage silicone insulators can be used in climatic conditions such as rain or fog since they are hydrophobic. However, water droplets lead to discharges, which reduces hydrophobicity of the silicone rubber which is, in turn, is a first step to failure of an insulator. To increase the resistance of the rubber to the discharges, it is necessary to study the discharges between droplets in detail.The present work is devoted to the study of the loss of hydrophobicity of silicone rubber due to rolling droplets and discharges between them on the inclined silicone rubber sample under AC voltage of 35 kV. An experimental setup used in the work has been developed based on Dynamic Drop Test (DDT) and makes it possible to study discharges only between droplets, and avoid contact of droplets with the electrodes.Simultaneous observation of droplets and discharges made it possible to distinguish characteristic events and to divide the loss of hydrophobicity into stages. Experiments showed that the behavior of the droplets changed gradually, while the discharges were observed only at the last stage. Presumably, the resistance of rubber to discharges is not the only factor that determines the time of loss of hydrophobicity. The very beginning of the process of loss of hydrophobicity should be investigated further.

Intensification of Electric Field Stresses in Field Aged 380-kV Composite Insulators Due to Loss of Hydrophobicity

Intensification of Electric Field Stresses in Field Aged 380-kV Composite Insulators Due to Loss of Hydrophobicity

(Invited) Addressing Durability in Long-Life, Low-Power Fuel Cells

Fuel Cells’ scalability and energy density make them excellent candidates for different applications, especially difficult to electrify applications. Their design flexibility can also be applied to low power, long-life applications. LANL has constructed a unique design to provide continuous, low power (< 100 µW) for very long duration (multiple decades). This LANL system operates passively, without active control of cell parameters, such as temperature and humidity. In addition, the system does not require interventions like refueling or maintenance during its operational lifetime. While the application and operational conditions of the systems mentioned here differ greatly from those of light and heavy-duty vehicles (e.g. ambient temperature operation, passive water management, low current densities), many of the modes of degradation are similar, and listed below: Membrane thinningDegraded performance due to loss of electrochemical surface area (ECSA)Loss of water management due to changes in hydrophobicityIncreased cell resistance due to corrosion of cell components To better understand these degradation processes LANL has performed accelerated stress tests (ASTs) to induce and quantify the membrane thinning, loss of ECSA, hydrophobicity, and bipolar plate corrosion. Those ASTs include long term OCV holds with reactants present, high potential cycling (1-1.5 V) in flooded conditions, potential cycling to induce catalyst Ostwald ripening, and exposure of cell components to corrosive environments.

Silane-modified bentonite clay-coated membrane development on ceramic support for oil/water emulsion separation using tuning of hydrophobicity

Bentonite clay-coated and silane-modified hydrophobic composite membranes were prepared on the ceramic support by facile sol-gel deposition route to effectively separate various oil-water colloidal solutions. This study explores the correlation of silane content involved in optimizing and modifying surface hydrophobicity, membrane pore characteristics, and the solvent permeation properties in terms of oil permeation rate and water rejection (%) in oil-water emulsion solutions. Membrane surface modifications with relatively higher silane content (∼15%) reduced the membrane pores extensively, increasing the water rejection properties but the oil flux was reduced modestly. The oil flux increases with the introduction of reduced silane content (∼2%) but the water rejection properties were compromised. Silane: solvent ratio of 1:100 (silane loading ∼10%) proved to be efficient for the separation (94–99%) of various hydrocarbons such as hexane, toluene, cyclohexane, and heptane from emulsified solutions with permeate flux of 25–40 Lm−2h−1. Cake filtration model was found suitable to explain the membrane fouling. The optimized membrane also recorded a minimal loss of hydrophobicity and mechanical strength enduring oil atmosphere and corrosive environments. The overall study supported by suitable physicochemical material characterizing techniques reveals that optimizing silane concentration in bentonite-based clay composite membrane surface modification can be an effective oil/water separation strategy.

Investigation of Gas Diffusion Layer Degradation in Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cell Via Chemical Oxidation

The gas diffusion layer (GDL) enables and influences the internal transport of fuel, oxygen, electricity, heat and water. The GDL is made up of the macroporous substrate and the microporous layer. To achieve the hydrophobicity required for water management, the two layers are typically treated with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). Degradation of GDL, including carbon corrosion and PTFE loss, affects water management, conductivity and mass transport. GDLs were subjected to accelerated stress tests by immersing them in Fenton's reagent for 24 hours. Analysis of hydrophobic properties through contact angle measurements, thermogravimetry, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy indicated that the hydrophobicity of the GDL exposed to Fenton's reagent decreased. This loss of hydrophobicity is associated with surface oxidation and PTFE degradation.

Coagulation studies on photodegraded and photocatalytically degraded polystyrene microplastics using polyaluminium chloride

Microplastics are ubiquitous persistent emerging contaminants, and its presence has been detected even in the most pristine and fragile ecosystems. Advanced oxidation processes are one of the novel degradation technologies used for the elimination of microplastics from the environment. In this study, the effect of ultraviolet C (UV-C, 253.7 nm) and ultraviolet A (UV-A, 365 nm) irradiations on polystyrene (PS) microplastic properties in the presence and absence of titanium dioxide were studied along with their coagulation performances using polyaluminium chloride (PAC). The effects of solar irradiation on the chemical properties of microplastics in aqueous and dry conditions were also investigated. PS microplastics (1.5 g) in three size ranges, 300–150 μm, 150–75 μm, and <75 μm were used during this experiment. After 45 days of irradiation, samples showed discolouration, brittleness, and loss of hydrophobicity. Images obtained from scanning electron microscope revealed smoothening and melting of PS surfaces upon UV exposure. Attenuated total reflectance- Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray photon spectroscopy of photoaged samples revealed chemical alterations, bond cleavage and formation of oxygenated functional groups on microplastic surfaces. PAC coagulation of samples before and after UV irradiation showed drastic differences in removal efficiencies, with UV-C irradiated microplastics exhibiting maximum efficiency. Large sized and photocatalytically degraded microplastics showed better removal efficiencies than small sized particles. The 300–150 μm sized PS microplastic, degraded photo catalytically under UV-C irradiation showed approximately 99 % removal efficiency, while PS < 75 μm photodegraded under UV-A irradiation showed only 74.2 % removal efficiency.

Determination of the resistance of water-repellent properties to ultraviolet radiation on self-hydrophobized surface textures of AISI 304 steel

In this work, the object of the study were femtosecond laser textured steel samples. Using a femtosecond laser to texture the surface both in the direct-beam mode, which provides microtextures, and in the reflection mode, which leads to the formation of LIPSS-type nanostructures on the surface. Such hybrid complexes are optimal in terms of water repellency as they embody the principle of hierarchical textures. This approach is one of the promising ways to solve the problem of scaling the process of obtaining superhydrophobic metal surfaces. The aim of the work is to establish the stability of water-repellent properties of micro- nanotextures obtained on the surface of AISI 304 steel after spontaneous hydrophobization under the action of UV radiation. The study of the obtained textured surface by scanning electron microscopy to confirm the presence of nanotexture and by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy to establish the elemental composition of the obtained microtexture were made in the work. The paper shows that the water repellency of AISI 304 steel surfaces textured at micro and nano levels by femtosecond laser after long exposure to the atmosphere increases to a superhydrophobic state with the value of contact angles up to 155°. It has been shown that such surfaces are sensitive to UV radiation. Depending on the type of structure, the loss of hydrophobicity under experimental conditions occurs in 15-45 minutes of exposure, and complete hydrophilization of the surface occurs after 100 minutes of irradiation. As a result, the obtained self-hydrophobic surfaces are not suitable for operation under the influence of sunlight. However, ultraviolet radiation can be used to pre-clean such surfaces from adsorbed organic contaminants.

Hydrophobic interface-assisted synthesis of K2CO3/Al2O3 adsorbent pellets for CO2 capture

Suitable molding and granulation methods are crucial, and an outstanding sphere structure can play a better role in the future scale-up industrial application of K2CO3-based CO2 adsorbent. Water will form a large contact angle on the surface of hydrophobic solution and become sphericity water. In this work, hydrophobic powders (polyethylene (PE), TiO2, and SiO2) were selected in the hydrophobic interface-assisted method. The CO2 adsorption capacity of TiO2 pellets is 0.50 mmol/g, while that of PE pellets is 0.24 mmol/g, and finally that of SiO2 pellets is 0.36 mmol/g. Then, experiment proved that high temperature (>500 ℃) makes the hydrophobic powders (i.e, TiO2 and SiO2) lose hydrophobicity which make water molecules diffuse faster, while PE is completely decomposed at high temperature. Compared with the pellets calcined at 300 ℃, the TiO2 pellets calcinated at 500 ℃ have an adsorption capacity of 0.70 mmol/g, which is over 1.72 times that of the original pellets, and the other two hydrophobic surfaces are also improved to some extent. Additionally, the appropriate ratio of low-temperature pore forming agent (i.e., urea) can help improve the adsorption performance, while excessive addition will lead to poor CO2 adsorption performance. In addition, the K2CO3/Al2O3 pellets also exhibited desirable mechanical properties, with an optimal compressive strength of 41 Mpa. Therefore, the loss of hydrophobicity leads to more active diffusion of water molecules, which may provide a new idea for the future development of CO2 adsorbents and other areas.

Rapid hydrophobicity recovery of contaminated silicone rubber using low-power microwave plasma in ambient air

The loss of hydrophobicity of silicone rubber (SR) insulators due to contamination accumulation will increase the risk of flashover and threaten the stability of electrical power system. To solve this problem, a highly efficient and environmentally friendly microwave plasma surface treatment method is developed, which only consumes low-power electricity and ambient air without any chemical agent or rare gas. The hydrophobicity of seriously contaminated SR can be recovered on the order of 10 s, with a nice long-term aging performance under natural transfer. The underlying mechanism is revealed via carefully designed control experiments and systematic surface analysis. It is illustrated that the plasma-generated active species break the long chain of SR into non-crosslinked low-molecule-weight siloxanes (LMWs) and accelerate their transfer to contamination layer, while the bombing and etching effects of plasma manufacture a porous structure and increase the surface roughness. All of these factors will contribute to the increase of hydrophobicity. On the contrary, the oxidation effect of plasma will turn LMWs into polar groups and destroy the hydrophobicity, which should be restricted in practice. The microwave plasma treatment method developed in this work has the on-line application potential in power system for hydrophobicity recovery under severe contamination conditions.

Long-Term Performance of Monolithic Silica Aerogel with Different Hydrophobicities: Physical and Color Rendering Properties after an Accelerated Aging Process.

Due to its excellent properties, monolithic silica aerogel is a promising material for innovative glazing systems. Since glazing systems are exposed to deteriorating agents during building service life, it is essential to investigate the long-term performance of aerogel. In the present paper, several 12.7 mm-thick silica aerogel monoliths produced by a rapid supercritical extraction method were tested, including both hydrophilic and hydrophobic samples. After fabrication and characterization of hydrophobicity, porosity, optical and acoustic properties, and color rendering, the samples were artificially aged by combining temperature and solar radiation effects in an experimental device specifically developed at the University of Perugia. The length of the experimental campaign was determined using acceleration factors (AFs). Temperature AF was evaluated according to the Arrhenius law using thermogravimetric analysis to estimate the aerogel activation energy. A natural service life of 12 years was achieved in about 4 months, and the samples' properties were retested. Contact angle tests supported by FT-IR analysis showed loss of hydrophobicity after aging. Visible transmittance values in the 0.67-0.37 range were obtained for hydrophilic and hydrophobic samples, respectively. The aging process involved optical parameter reduction of only 0.02-0.05. There was also a slight loss in acoustic performance (noise reduction coefficient (NRC) = 0.21-0.25 before aging and NRC = 0.18-0.22 after aging). For hydrophobic panes, color shift values in the 10.2-59.1 and 8.4-60.7 ranges were obtained before and after aging, respectively. The presence of aerogel, regardless of hydrophobicity, results in a deterioration in light-green and azure tones. Hydrophobic samples had lower color rendering performance than hydrophilic aerogel, but this did not worsen after the aging process. This paper makes a significant contribution to the progressive deterioration assessment of aerogel monoliths for applications in sustainable buildings.