Ultralight and Hydrophobic Palygorskite-based Aerogels with Prominent Thermal Insulation and Flame Retardancy

Clay-based aerogel is a promising material in the field of thermal insulation and flame retardant, but obtaining clay-based aerogel with high fire resistance, low thermal conductivity, hydrophobicity, and mechanical robustness remains a challenge. In this work, palygorskite-based aerogel was successfully fabricated via combining with a very small proportion of alginate to form a distinctive hierarchically meso–microporous structure. By employing ethanol solution (EA) replacement method and freeze-drying process, the resultant aerogel exhibited ultralow density (0.035–0.052 g/cm3), practical mechanical strengths (0.7–2.1 MPa), and low thermal conductivity of 0.0332–0.165 W/mK (25–1000 °C). The hydrophobicity of aerogel was achieved by simple chemical vapor deposition of methyltrimethoxysilane (MTMS). The Pal-based aerogel showed good performance in both fire resistance with high limiting oxygen index up to 90%, and heat resistance with tolerance of flame up to 1000 °C for 10 min. This renewable Pal-based aerogel with a 3D framework is a promising material to be applied in fields of construction and aerospace for thermal insulation and high fire resistance.