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6122863 
Journal Article 
Fire-Retardant and Thermally Insulating Phenolic-Silica Aerogels 
Yu, Z; Yang, N; Apostolopoulou-Kalkavoura, V; Qin, B; Ma, Z; Xing, W; Qiao, C; Bergstrom, L; Antonietti, M; Yu, S 
2018 
Yes 
Angewandte Chemie (International Edition)
ISSN: 1433-7851
EISSN: 1521-3773 
57 
17 
4538-4542 
English 
29469238 
WOS:000430165700013 
Energy efficient buildings require materials with a low thermal conductivity and a high fire resistance. Traditional organic insulation materials are limited by their poor fire resistance and inorganic insulation materials are either brittle or display a high thermal conductivity. Herein we report a mechanically resilient organic/inorganic composite aerogel with a thermal conductivity significantly lower than expanded polystyrene and excellent fire resistance. Co-polymerization and nanoscale phase separation of the phenol-formaldehyde-resin (PFR) and silica generate a binary network with domain sizes below 20 nm. The PFR/SiO2 aerogel can resist a high-temperature flame without disintegration and prevents the temperature on the non-exposed side from increasing above the temperature critical for the collapse of reinforced concrete structures. 
aerogels; binary networks; fire-retardants; phenol-formaldehyde resin; thermal insulation