Effect of heat treatment temperature on melamine sponge reinforced silica aerogel

A novel structure-controllable melamine sponge reinforcement silica aerogel composite (MS/aerogel) was successfully synthesized via the sol-gel and ambient pressure drying processes. MS/aerogel was heat treated under various temperature conditions to further study the basic properties. The results showed that the heat treatment temperature did have a great effect as the microstructure and inherited group changed. It turned out that MS/aerogel was converted from hydrophobic into hydrophilic. Besides, the thermal properties improved as the lowest thermal coefficient (0.0251 W • m^-1 • K^-1) was obtained after the sample being heated under 300 °C. As to the compressive performance, it was improved to a high level, and the heat treatment temperature had altered compressive responses significantly. A model of the aerogel particle transformation process was proposed at last to describe the strengthening mechanism briefly. This work could provide some instructional suggestions for the sustainable application of the MS/aerogel composite.