Design and Manufacture of a Fiber Pyro Expanded Perlite/Epoxy Composite for Thermal Insulation

Abstract

A polymer-ceramic composite material was modelled in the MatLab software, and developed for low-temperature applications. No gasses were emitted during the manufacturing process of this composite. The objective was to develop a uniformly dispersed, interwoven, and reinforced fibre’s structure, resulting in a fiber pyro expanded perlite/ epoxy composite. The material does not cause immediate chemical reactions, either with the severe nor the soft matrix of epoxy resins. Mechanical and physical characterizations of the material were described herein. The thermal conductivity of the material was calculated by the Mixture Rules method and experimentally by Method SAM, finding a value of 0.284 W/mK. The main application proposed for this material is for thermal insulation purposes at cryogenic temperatures in the industry.