Experimental thermal-stability evaluation of polyester/silica aerogel composites for building insulation at elevated temperature

Muhammad Zubair Farrukh; Muhammad Arslan; Zaheer Uddin Kamran; Ahmed Usman Yasir; Muhammad Zubair Farrukh; Muhammad Arslan; Zaheer Uddin Kamran; Ahmed Usman Yasir

doi:10.3934/matersci.2026020

AIMS Materials Science

2026, Volume 13, Issue 2: 391-409. doi: 10.3934/matersci.2026020

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Experimental thermal-stability evaluation of polyester/silica aerogel composites for building insulation at elevated temperature

1.
Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering Department, Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, TN, 38505, USA
2.
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology (UET), Taxila, 47080, Pakistan
3.
Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, 35294, USA

Received: 09 February 2026 Revised: 15 April 2026 Accepted: 08 May 2026 Published: 14 May 2026

Polyester-based materials are widely used in insulation systems due to their low cost and relatively low thermal conductivity; however, further reduction in heat transfer is desirable for building envelope components exposed to elevated surface temperatures. In this study, polyester–silica aerogel composite insulation tiles were fabricated and systematically evaluated to identify the filler concentration that minimizes thermal conductivity while maintaining practical curing integrity. Silica aerogel powder was incorporated into unsaturated polyester resin at 1–5 wt.% (relative to resin mass) using methyl ethyl ketone peroxide (MEKP) as the hardener and cobalt naphthenate as the accelerator, and glass-fiber reinforcement was applied as a constant layup to enhance structural integrity. Curing was performed at 120 ℃. The resulting composites were characterized using Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and steady-state thermal conductivity measurement suing a guarded heat flow meter, indicating retention of the polyester chemical structure, predominantly amorphous composite formation, and improved high temperature thermal resistance with increasing silica content. The monotonic reduction in thermal conductivity was consistent with interruption of continuous matrix conduction pathways and increased thermal boundary resistance introduced by dispersed, ultra-low-conductivity aerogel domains within the polyester matrix. Thermal conductivity was measured under steady-state conditions at 55 ℃ using a guarded heat flow meter in triplicate (N = 3). The thermal conductivity decreased from 0.2800 ± 0.0030 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹ at 1 wt.% SiO₂ to 0.2300 ± 0.0036 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹ at 5 wt.% SiO₂, corresponding to an overall reduction of 0.0500 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹ (17.9%) within the investigated range. TGA results further indicated a major decomposition event over approximately 390–500 ℃, with composition-dependent residues increasing with silica loading, consistent with enhanced thermal resistance at elevated temperatures. Overall, 5 wt.% silica aerogel provides the lowest measured thermal conductivity among the tested formulations and supports the potential of these polyester-based composites for rigid insulation tile applications with practical curing feasibility for roof and building-envelope use.
- polyester composites,
- heat insulation tiles,
- polymer composites,
- curing behavior,
- low thermal conductivity composites,
- silica aerogel
Citation: Muhammad Zubair Farrukh, Muhammad Arslan, Zaheer Uddin Kamran, Ahmed Usman Yasir. Experimental thermal-stability evaluation of polyester/silica aerogel composites for building insulation at elevated temperature[J]. AIMS Materials Science, 2026, 13(2): 391-409. doi: 10.3934/matersci.2026020

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Abstract

Polyester-based materials are widely used in insulation systems due to their low cost and relatively low thermal conductivity; however, further reduction in heat transfer is desirable for building envelope components exposed to elevated surface temperatures. In this study, polyester–silica aerogel composite insulation tiles were fabricated and systematically evaluated to identify the filler concentration that minimizes thermal conductivity while maintaining practical curing integrity. Silica aerogel powder was incorporated into unsaturated polyester resin at 1–5 wt.% (relative to resin mass) using methyl ethyl ketone peroxide (MEKP) as the hardener and cobalt naphthenate as the accelerator, and glass-fiber reinforcement was applied as a constant layup to enhance structural integrity. Curing was performed at 120 ℃. The resulting composites were characterized using Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and steady-state thermal conductivity measurement suing a guarded heat flow meter, indicating retention of the polyester chemical structure, predominantly amorphous composite formation, and improved high temperature thermal resistance with increasing silica content. The monotonic reduction in thermal conductivity was consistent with interruption of continuous matrix conduction pathways and increased thermal boundary resistance introduced by dispersed, ultra-low-conductivity aerogel domains within the polyester matrix. Thermal conductivity was measured under steady-state conditions at 55 ℃ using a guarded heat flow meter in triplicate (N = 3). The thermal conductivity decreased from 0.2800 ± 0.0030 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹ at 1 wt.% SiO₂ to 0.2300 ± 0.0036 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹ at 5 wt.% SiO₂, corresponding to an overall reduction of 0.0500 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹ (17.9%) within the investigated range. TGA results further indicated a major decomposition event over approximately 390–500 ℃, with composition-dependent residues increasing with silica loading, consistent with enhanced thermal resistance at elevated temperatures. Overall, 5 wt.% silica aerogel provides the lowest measured thermal conductivity among the tested formulations and supports the potential of these polyester-based composites for rigid insulation tile applications with practical curing feasibility for roof and building-envelope use.

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