Thermal Insulation Properties Research Articles

Comparative Study of Natural Fibres to Improve Insulation in Wooden Beehives Using Sensor Networks

The beekeeping sector is increasingly focused on creating optimal and natural environments for honeybees to reduce dependence on external factors, especially given progressively hotter summers. Improving hive thermal conditions can enhance bee wellbeing and production. While pinewood hives are predominant, some have started using insulating materials like polystyrene. However, many synthetic materials, despite their excellent insulation properties, are incompatible with organic food production, requiring alternative solutions. This study compares the thermal insulation properties of various natural materials, including white and black agglomerated cork, wood fibres, and rock mineral wool. These materials are potentially compatible with organic food production. Additionally, the research evaluates cost-effective sensor networks to monitor bioclimatic variables in real time. Lab tests using a Langstroth-type hive with a controlled heat source were conducted, monitoring temperature and humidity inside and outside the hive. The results revealed that all selected materials provided similar thermal insulation, superior to a hive without insulation. This finding suggests that using natural materials can enhance hive thermal comfort (i.e., the material’s ability to maintain a stable internal temperature), thereby improving honeybee wellbeing and productivity in a manner compatible with organic food production.

Development of an active agar aerogel with dual antioxidant and UV-blocking activities using chlorine-doped graphene quantum dots

Active packaging is of great interest in the modern food industry due to increasing shelf life and enhancing food quality. The importance of this technology increases when natural polymers are used in the construction of active packages. Development of a natural, biodegradable, and dual-active film was aimed in this study. So, agar aerogel containing different amounts of chlorine-doped graphene quantum dots (Cl-GQDs) was prepared. Cl-GQDs had excitation-dependent fluorimetry behavior due to the zigzag edges of graphene. The mean diameter of spherical nanoparticles of Cl-GQDs was about 12 nm, according to HR-TEM images. The results of Raman and ATR-FTIR confirmed that chlorine was well-doped on the GQD structure. Cl-GQDs showed high UV-absorption capability and very strong antioxidant activity (94.31 %), which maintained these activities after incorporation into the agar aerogel. The doped chlorine was responsible for the capacity to charge transfer of GQDs. BET and SEM results showed that adding Cl-GQDs to agar caused a porous structure. Finally, different types of agar aerogels containing Cl-GQDs can be used considering the intended application of aerogel. Agar aerogel containing 20 % Cl-GQDs is suggested if a porous aerogel with good thermal insulation properties is considered. However, agar aerogel containing 1 % Cl-GQDs is suitable as an active film. In conclusion, while Cl-GQDs hold promise as sustainable and multifunctional food packaging materials, their potential toxic effects must be thoroughly evaluated. Future studies should explore migration, potential interactions with specific food matrices, and long-term safety to ensure consumer protection.

Влияние технологических факторов на плотность и прочность зологазобетона

One of the promising areas of fly ash utilization is the production of cellular concretes. The experience of using cellular concrete products in construction has shown that they can successfully compete with most traditional materials combining high thermal insulation and structural properties. The paper examines the influence of technological factors: grinding, composition, water temperature and water solid ratio on the density and strength of the gas and gold cement. Purpose of the study. Determination of the influence of technological factors of production on the density and strength of ash gas concrete. Materials and methods. Portland cement, fly ash from Ekibastuz GRES-2, bassanite, and aluminum powder were used as starting materials. The composition of ash gas concrete with an average density of 700, 800 and 900 kg/m3 was developed according to the technical requirements of CH 277-80 – Instructions for the manufacture of cellular concrete products. The physical and mechanical properties of cellular concrete were determined in accordance with the technical requirements of the current standards. The result s and discussion. On the basis of the basic composition, the influence of technological factors on the density and strength of ash gas concrete has been studied. As a result of the research, it was found that the strength of samples with an average density of 700 kg/m3 reaches 3.5 MPa, and with an average density of 800 and 900 kg/m3 – 5.1 and 7.6 MPa, respectively. These indicators confirm that the samples obtained from mechanically activated gold cement binder according to the technical requirements of GOST 25485-2019 correspond to the structural and thermal insulation properties of cellular concrete. Resume. The physical and technical properties of raw materials, concrete mixtures and cellular concretes were studied using Ekibastuz GRES-2 ash as a fine filler. The study showed that production technological factors such as the dispersion and composition of the mixture, the water-solid ratio and the temperature of the mixing water have a significant effect on the density and strength of the ash gas concrete. Optimization of these parameters makes it possible to achieve the specified values of density and strength in the resulting material. Proposals for practical application and direction of future research. The possibility and expediency of using the ash of Ekibastuz GRES-2 as an additive in the manufacture of ash gas concrete has been established.

Experimental analysis of thermal insulation performance in concrete blocks integrated with recycled rubber crumbs

This paper presents an experimental investigation of thermal insulation in rubberized concrete blocks, where the fine aggregate size was replaced by rubber crumbs at varying ratios (0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, and 50%). The rubber crumbs used in this study ranged in size from 0-1mm, 1-3mm, and 2-4mm. A mixing ratio of 4:2:1 was employed, and simulated solar energy at a rate of 500 W/m2 was applied to the outer surface of the test samples. Heat flux sensors were installed on both the internal and external surfaces to measure transient heat flux through the samples, while K-type sensors were used to measure surface temperatures. The samples were placed in an adiabatic room with an open front side for testing. The results of the study indicate that the addition of rubber crumbs to the concrete mixture improves thermal insulation properties, as evidenced by a decrease in thermal conductivity corresponding to the volumetric substitution ratio of rubber crumbs with the volume of sand in the sample. Particularly, a 50% incorporation of rubber crumbs led to a substantial 76.2% reduction in thermal conductivity, indicating the effective thermal insulation provided by rubberized concrete. These findings hold significant implications for energy conservation within the building sector, where the use of rubberized concrete can contribute to improved energy efficiency and reduced heat transfer.

Construction of chitosan/alginate aerogels with three-dimensional hierarchical pore network structure via hydrogen bonding dissolution and covalent crosslinking synergistic strategy for thermal management systems

To replace traditional petrochemical-based thermal insulation materials, in this work, the chitosan (CHI)/alginate (ALG) (CA) aerogels with three-dimensional hierarchical pore network structure were constructed by compositing CHI and ALG using a synergistic strategy of hydrogen bonding dissolution and covalent crosslinking. The structure and properties were further regulated by crosslinking the CA aerogels with epichlorohydrin (ECH). The CA aerogels exhibited various forms of covalent crosslinking, hydrogen bonding and electrostatic interactions, with hydrogen bonding content reaching 79.12 %. The CA aerogels showed an excellent three-dimensional hierarchical pore network structure, with an average pore size minimum of 15.92 nm. The structure regulation of CA aerogels obtained excellent compressive properties, with an increase of stress and strain by 137.61 % and 45.05 %, which can support a heavy object 5000 times its weight. Additionally, CA aerogels demonstrate excellent thermal insulation properties and low thermal conductivity, comparable to commercially available insulation materials. More importantly, CA aerogels have good cyclic insulation stability and thermal properties, and they have a flame retardancy rating of V-0, which shows the stability of insulation properties and excellent safety. CA aerogels provide new ideas for the development of biomass thermal insulation materials and are expected to be candidates for thermal management applications.

Fully biobased thermal insulating aerogels with superior fire-retardant and mechanical properties

Biomass-based aerogels offer a promising potential as alternatives to plastic-based foams for thermal insulation applications. However, their inherent flammability has hindered their practical usage. In this work, we addressed this issue by employing a layer-by-layer assembly technique to deposit two oppositely charged biobased materials, namely phytic acid and chitosan, onto a fully biobased aerogel system. These aerogels were fabricated using cellulose filaments and chitosan and cross-linked with citric acid, resulting in a mechanically robust 3D structure. The synergistic effects of phytic acid and chitosan in the layer-by-layer deposited aerogels significantly enhanced their fire resistance and mechanical strength. The developed aerogel with six bilayer depositions (LBL6), showed an outstanding peak heat release rate (pHRR) of 6.0 kW.m−2, and total heat release (THR) of 0.4 MJ.m−2, substantially lower than the previously developed cellulose-based aerogels and foams. LBL6 also demonstrated immediate self-extinguishing behaviour, boasting an impressive limiting oxygen index (LOI) value of 63 %, which is the highest reported for a biobased aerogel. Furthermore, the developed aerogels exhibited a superior Young’s modulus of up to 4.5 MPa, surpassing previously developed flame-retardant aerogels. Additionally, they excelled in thermal insulation properties, with a thermal conductivity of less than 38.2 mW·m−1·K−1, placing them in the same range as, or even lower than, commercially available thermal insulators. Given the simplicity of the aerogel development process and the well-known advantages of a completely biobased system, our developed aerogels present a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to current commercial thermal insulators that are derived from petroleum-based materials.

Dual role of two-dimensional graphene in silica aerogel composite: Thermal resistance and heat node

Incorporating two-dimensional graphene sheets, known for their high in-plane thermal conductivity, into silica aerogel enhances both the thermal insulation and mechanical properties of the composite. This work delves into the impact of graphene doping on the solid thermal conductivity of silica composites and their mechanical characteristics, employing molecular dynamics simulations that encompass both amorphous silica bulk and porous silica aerogel structures. Our findings reveal that graphene–silica interface thermal resistance notably restricts heat conduction in graphene doped silica aerogel, with the most pronounced effect occurring when graphene aligns vertically with the heat flux. Within porous silica aerogel, graphene serves as a “heat node”, bridging and connecting adjacent pores. A notable “trade-off” emerges: high weight percentages of graphene sheets augment heat transfer through the “heat node effect”, whereas the interfacial thermal resistance between graphene and aerogel reduces solid heat transfer, leading to decreased thermal conductivity. Additionally, while the inclusion of graphene sheets offers limited mechanical property enhancements, their two-dimensional structure can cause detachment and slipping from the silica matrix, leading to localized improvements in mechanical strength. This work sets the stage for advancing graphene-based aerogel composites characterized by low thermal conductivity and enhanced mechanical properties.

Lightweight porous mullite-silica ceramics with multistage pore structure, low thermal conductivity and improved strength

Thermal protection was always a prominent issue in the aerospace industry. For vehicle safety, reliability and payload requirements, thermal protection materials were usually expected to possess low density, superior mechanical and thermal insulation properties. Here, lightweight and high-strength porous mullite-silica ceramics were manufactured using particle-stabilized foaming technique. The strength and thermal insulation properties of porous ceramics modified with hollow silica spheres were significantly enhanced. A 10 wt% hollow spheres addition achieved a 28.9 % increase in strength and a 33.4 % decrease in thermal conductivity with almost constant porosity (from 86.39 % to 87.04 %). Considering the characteristics of light weight, high compression strength and superior thermal insulation performance, porous ceramics could be applied as thermal protection materials in the aerospace sector.

Hollow engineering of Co/N-doped C@carbon aerogel with hierarchical structure boosting interfacial polarization for ultra-thin microwave absorption and thermal insulation

Rational manipulation of the composition and microstructure design of aerogel materials is considered to be an effective method for achieving the dual functions of microwave absorption and thermal insulation. Herein, hollow Co/N-doped C@carbon aerogel with hierarchical structures was designed and constructed via a synergistic strategy including directed freeze-drying, ZIF-67 in situ growth, chemical etching and calcination treatment. Co/N-doped hollow carbon nanocages derived from ZIF-67 with uniform heterojunctions and layered micro-mesopores were constructed using tannic acid and heat treatment process. After that, abundant macroporous structure from the carbon aerogel itself was further introduced to upgrade the impedance matching property, light weight and interfacial polarization loss capability. Remarkably, as-fabricated Co/N-doped C@carbon aerogel (ZTA@A-900) displays optimal MA performance with a minimum reflection loss (RLmin) value of −54.0 dB at 15.32 GHz and a broad effective absorption bandwidth (EAB) of 4.04 GHz (13.44–17.48 GHz) at a thickness of only 1.4 mm. Furthermore, the ideal CST simulation results and excellent thermal insulation property of ZTA@A-900 make it an outstanding candidate for microwave absorbers under extreme conditions. Thus, our work opens up a new avenue for the design and fabrication of multifunctional lightweight microwave absorbers.

Durability and thermal insulation properties of glazed hollow bead concrete with nanoparticles in marine atmospheric environment

Industrial and civil buildings in coastal areas have been in the marine atmosphere for a long time and are especially susceptible to the combined effects of carbonation and salt spray, which accelerate the deterioration of concrete durability and the reduction of thermal insulation performance. This paper focused on the effect of nano-SiO2 and nano-Al2O3 on the durability and thermal insulation of glazed hollow bead concrete (GC) under a salt spray carbonation environment, and analyzed the mechanism of nanoparticles on the improvement of durability and thermal insulation of GC by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) microscopic tests. The results showed that both nano-SiO2 and nano-Al2O3 incorporation could improve the durability and thermal insulation of GC to a certain extent. The optimal amount of both nanoparticles was 2 %, and nano-SiO2 had a stronger beneficial effect than nano-Al2O3. In comparison to GC, the free Cl− content in the surface layer of GCNS20 and GCNA20 after 56 cycles was decreased by 33.33 % and 27.22 %, respectively. Furthermore, the carbonation depths of GCNS20 and GCNA20 were decreased by 42.83 % and 36.38 %, respectively. The thermal conductivity of GCNS20 and GCNA20 decreased by 24.86 % and 17.34 %, respectively, while the thermal diffusion coefficients were reduced by 33.22 % and 23.73 %, respectively. The incorporation of nanoparticles effectively reduced the microcracks and pores in GC, improved its internal structure, and reduced the possibility of thermal bridge formation. In addition, the incorporation of nanoparticles significantly reduced the production of erosion products such as CaCO3 and Friedel's salt in GC.

Conjugated Microporous Polymer Aerogels Encapsulated within Hydroxyapatite Nanowires Exhibit Good Thermal Insulation and Flame-Retardant Properties.

Aerogels have been widely studied in the field of thermal insulation. Herein, we reported a kind of conjugated micropolymer (CMP) aerogel synthesized by 1,3,5-triethynylbenzene and 2-amino-3,5-dibromopyridine. To enhance the flame-retardant property, we composited hydroxyapatite (HAP) nanowires with a CMP aerogel. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis revealed that HAP nanowires were encapsulated within nanosized CMP tubes. In addition, the thermal conductivity of HAP2-NCMP aerogel was 0.0251 W m-1 K-1, which possesses good thermal insulation property. In the micro-combustion calorimeter (MCC) test, compared with pure NCMP, the peak heat release rate (pHRR) of HAP2-NCMP decreased from 39.3 to 30.82 W g-1, approximately 21.6% lower. Furthermore, with the increased addition of hydroxyapatite in the HAP-NCMP composite, the pHRR of HAP3-NCMP decreased by about 37.4%. Besides, NCMP possesses good mechanical properties, with a compressive strength of 117.3 kPa at a strain level of 60%. These findings suggest promising application potential for HAP-NCMP in energy-saving and flame-retardant applications.

The Effect of Cellulose Fiber on the Bending Strength of Autoclaved Aerated Concrete

Autoclaved aerated concrete is becoming an increasingly popular building material, and for good reason. It is ecological, energy efficient, strong, and durable. Studies show that the production of autoclaved aerated concrete saves 85% of energy compared to the production of heavy concrete. However, the use of steel reinforcement in large-sized aerated concrete products leads to deterioration of thermal insulation properties, corrosion, and destruction of the material. Replacing steel reinforcement with discrete fiber strands can solve this problem. The fiber does not affect the thermal insulation properties, is not prone to corrosion, and can be evenly distributed over the entire volume of the product.

Fabrication of High-Performance Polyisocyanurate Aerogels through Cocyclotrimerization of 4,4'-Methylene Diphenyl Diisocyanate and Its Mono-Urethane Derivatives.

Aromatic polyisocyanurate (PIR) aerogels are recognized as advanced porous materials and extensively studied due to their lightweight nature, high porosity, and specific surface area, which attribute to their outstanding thermal insulation properties. The inherent thermal stability of the PIR moieties, combined with great insulating performance, renders PIR aerogels highly suitable for building insulation applications. Nevertheless, materials containing isocyanurate obtained through direct trimerization of aromatic isocyanates exhibit brittleness, resulting in inferior mechanical performance. In order to enhance the processability of the PIR aerogels, we propose a cocyclotrimerization approach involving mixtures of mono- and difunctional aromatic isocyanates. This approach is designed to develop a PIR network with decreased cross-linking density and brittleness. Herein, we developed an array of PIR aerogels from different alkyl chain-modified isocyanate mixtures. The resulting PIR aerogels exhibited high porosity (>89%), a large surface area (∼300 m2/g), superinsulating performance with ultralow thermal conductivity (∼16.8 mW m-1 K-1), notable thermal stability (Td5% ∼ 250 °C), improved mechanical performance, and intrinsic hydrophobicity without the need for postmodification. These high-performance organic aerogels hold significant promise for applications requiring superinsulating materials.

Microphase separation regulation of polyurethane modified phenolic resin aerogel to enhance mechanical properties and thermal insulation

Applications of aerogels are commonly restricted by their complicated preparation route, high energy cost, brittleness and poor mechanical properties. Herein, a facile synthesis route for mechanical robust polyurethane (PU) modified phenolic resin (PF) aerogel was developed. The aerogel was prepared via polymerization of PU and phenolic resin (PF) followed by direct ambient pressure drying, sub-10 nm scale co-continuous phase structure was realized via control of kinetics of sol–gel reaction. The regulation of phase structure significantly enhanced mechanical properties of aerogels, which showed compressive strength and modulus of 29 MPa and 112 MPa, respectively, at 60 % strain without notable collapse. Furthermore, these aerogels showed excellent thermal insulation properties at both room temperature and high temperature. They exhibited superior dynamic ablative thermal protection at 1200℃ in oxygen-acetylene ablation test. This facile, inexpensive, environment-friendly methodology for aerogel preparation expands the application scope of aerogels in the field of thermal insulation under harsh environments.

Preparation of multifunctional polypyrrole hydrogel/Fe3O4/calcium alginate composite aerogel with electromagnetic shielding and fire warning performance

Purpose This study aims to fabricate a novel electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding composite aerogel with both thermal insulation and high temperature warning functions. Design/methodology/approach An emerging bio-based polypyrrole (PPy) gel/Fe3O4/calcium alginate (PFC) EMI shielding composite aerogel was prepared by freeze-drying and in situ polymerization method. First, Fe3O4/calcium alginate (CA) aerogel was obtained by freeze-drying the Fe3O4/CA mixture. Then, PPy/Fe3O4/CA was obtained by synthesizing PPy on the surface of CA/Fe3O4 aerogel through in situ polymerization. Finally, PPy/Fe3O4/CA was immersed in porphyrin solution (cross-linking agent) to get the final PFC EMI shielding composite aerogel. Findings Due to the matched impedance between Fe3O4 and PPy, the EMI shielding performance of PFC composite aerogel can reach up to −8 dB. In addition, the PFC EMI shielding composite aerogel also shows excellent self-extinguishing and thermal insulation properties. After leaving the flame, the burning PFC aerogel is quickly extinguished. When the PFC aerogel is placed on the heating plate at 230 °C, the temperature on the side of the aerogel away from the heating plate is only 90.3 °C after 5 min of heating. The electrical resistance of the PFC composite aerogel can be reduced from 3.62 × 104 O to 5 × 102 O to trigger the warning light after 3 s of exposure to the alcohol lamp flame. This reversible thermal resistance response characteristic can be used to give an early warning signal when the PFC encounters high temperature or flame. Originality/value This work provides a novel strategy for designing a multifunctional EMI shielding composite aerogel with repeatable high temperature warning performance. This PFC composite aerogel shows potential applications in the prevention of material combustion in high temperature electromagnetic environments.

Performance evaluation of geopolymer mortars containing waste ferrochrome slag and fly ash for sustainable green building

The aim of the present study, an attempt to shed light on the use of industrial-based wastes as alkali-activated binder (AAB) material is mainly. The present novel research work, the characterization of waste ferrochrome slag (FCS) and the performance of alkali-activated mortar consisting of fly ash (FA) were investigated. The characterization of used materials were carried out using advanced microstructural analysis techniques (XRF, XRD and SEM). A total of thirty two mortars are prepared using FCS (90–60%) and FA (10–40%) with 5 M, 10 M sodium hydroxide (NaOH), Na2SiO3/NaOH (SS/SH = 1 and 2) solution. All specimens were cured in an oven at 70 °C and 100 °C for 24 h. After oven curing, the geopolymer mortars were kept in the laboratory for 28 days and thermal and mechanical tests were applied to them. The A5 mixture (SS/SH = 1 with 10%FA, 90%FCS and 5 M NaOH) was found to be optimum in terms of thermal insulation properties, making it suitable for use in sustainable construction in terms of low energy cost through exterior insulation. The C8 mixture (SS/SH = 1 with 40%FA, 60% FCS and 10 M NaOH) was found to be optimum in terms of strength and durability, making it suitable for use in sustainable construction. As a result, in this study, an optimum mixture of waste FCS and FA was obtained and geopolymer building materials that provide thermal insulation and structural performance and are resistant to external influences were produced.

Multifunctional mullite fiber reinforced SiBCN ceramic aerogel with excellent microwave absorption and thermal insulation performance

Mullite fibers have been widely used in thermal protection materials, but they still face challenges related to inefficient wave absorption performance. SiBCN aerogel has the advantage of tunable dielectric properties, outstanding microwave absorption performance, low density and low thermal conductivity, making it an ideal candidate for enhancing mullite fibers. Herein, a novel SiBCN aerogel/mullite fiber composite (SiBCN/MF composite) was prepared by sol-gel, freeze-drying and high temperature thermal treatment for the first time. By tuning the concentration of polyborosilazane (PBSZ), the density, microwave absorption performance, and thermal insulation properties were regulated. The obtained composites displayed low density (0.151–0.190 g/cm3), excellent microwave absorption performance (the minimum reflection loss as low as −67.83 dB and effective absorption bandwidth of 5.40 GHz) and low thermal conductivity (0.056–0.081 W/(m·K)). The outstanding comprehensive performance of the fabricated composites makes them promising candidates for use in the thermal protection system of aerospace vehicles.

Modeling building carbon emissions by using MARS algorithm: A case of Istanbul

Controlling carbon emissions is critical to mitigating the negative environmental impacts of carbon emissions, such as global warming and climate change. Identifying the factors that affect building emissions is important because they contribute significantly to global emissions. The study aimed to determine the building characteristics that affect building emissions for residential buildings in Istanbul using the MARS algorithm. The MARS algorithm was also used to estimate building emissions based on the energy performance certificate data for each building. The study revealed that building characteristics have specific thresholds that affect building emissions differently depending on whether they are above or below these thresholds. The feature selection analysis revealed that the thermal insulation properties, specifically the wall_u value, roof_u value, and window_u value, had the greatest impact on building emissions. Other factors identified were building age, heating power, and floor height. These factors alone explain about 77 % of the building emissions. The analysis identified the interactions between building characteristics that affect building emissions. This enables common, appropriate solutions to be developed in terms of building characteristics to reduce building emissions.

Multifunctional aerogels with thermal insulation, elasticity, and hydrophobicity derived from hemp stems

Aerogels are commonly used in the fields of thermal insulation, sound insulation, adsorption, optical devices, and electrode materials. However, traditional aerogels suffer from poor structural stability and mechanical performance. Herein, we proposed a method in extracting fibers from hemp stems to prepare hydrophobic, thermal insulating and superelastic aerogels. The suspension of bleached hemp fibers (BHF), chitosan, and methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS) is assembled into the network structure of aerogel by freeze-drying method. Because of the cross-linking between BHF, chitosan and MTMS, the material exhibited excellent properties. The aerogel demonstrated excellent compression performance, quickly recovering even when applied with 80 % compressive strain and maintaining 80 % of its original shape after 100 compression cycles. Furthermore, the aerogels demonstrated outstanding thermal insulation property; the thermal conductivity is only 0.01873 ± 0.0004 W/m·K. In addition, the aerogel exhibited excellent hydrophobic properties, with a water contact angle of approximately 130°. The superior properties of aerogel enable it to withstand complex external environments. In this study, we aim to provide new ideas and methods for resource reuse and the preparation of bio-based aerogels.

Binary surfactant-optimized silica aerogel slurries for building materials: Effects of formulation and content

Developing silica aerogel slurries is a strategic approach for incorporating silica aerogels into matrix materials to enhance the efficiency of aerogel composites. This study introduces a novel binary surfactant mixture, using a 1:4 ratio of polyether L62 and CTAC, optimized for the performance of aerogel slurries. Our extensive testing reveals that this formulation significantly reduces the surface tension to 24.25 mN/m and achieves a remarkable thermal conductivity of 26.7 mW/m/K, while maintaining high hydrophobicity with a contact angle exceeding 125°. The slurries exhibit a wet density of 0.48 g/cm³ and a dry density of 0.098 g/cm³, emphasizing the lightweight nature of the aerogel composites. Additionally, the study illustrates that while increasing the surfactant concentration optimally raises the aerogel content, excess surfactant adversely affects the thermal insulation properties. Microstructural analysis confirms that the binary surfactant mixture effectively modifies the aerogel surface, overcoming the dispersal limitations associated with aerogel's hydrophobic groups. This breakthrough in slurry formulation greatly enhances both the insulating and water-repellent capabilities of silica aerogels, offering a viable engineering solution for developing high-performance aerogel composites for thermal insulation applications.