Preparation, microstructure, and thermal properties of phenolic cryogel composite plates

Phenolic hydrogel plates were successfully fabricated by a microemulsion‐templated sol gel polymerization method. Then, the phenolic cryogel plates were obtained from the hydrogel plates freeze‐dried by the lyophilizer. Ultimately, the phenolic cryogel plates (PCPs) and fiber glass cloth layers were compounded to be the phenolic cryogel composite plates (PCCPs). The pore morphology, mechanical, and thermal properties of the composites were investigated. The experimental results showed that the aerogels made by freeze‐drying method and disposed by acetic acid and tert butyl alcohol had the best microstructure. In addition, it was discovered that the tensile strength of the plates had equally increased for approximately eight times after compounding with the glass fiber cloth layers and the mechanical properties of the 20 wt% and 25% solid content PCPs achieved the optimal value compared with PCPs of other contents. Moreover, it was found that the cryogels had excellent thermostability, and their thermal conductivity decreased with the reducing of the solid contents, what's more, the joining of cloth layers had the increased the composites’ thermal conductivity to some degree. Finally, considering the requirement of low density, good mechanical, and thermal performance, the 20 wt% solid content PCCP had the best comprehensive performance compared with others. POLYM. COMPOS., 38:2294–2300, 2017. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers