Effect of SiO2 aerogel and perlite on properties of foamed concrete

Abstract To enhance the insulation performance, strength, and fire resistance performance of foamed concrete, this paper investigates the effects of incorporating nano-silica aerogel and expanded perlite. A comprehensive comparison and analysis were conducted on the dry density, water absorption, me...

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Main Authors: Wanying Qu, Kailu Liu, Haoyang Zeng, Qiuyan Hu, Li Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-03-01
Series:Scientific Reports
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-96026-2
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author Wanying Qu
Kailu Liu
Haoyang Zeng
Qiuyan Hu
Li Wang
author_facet Wanying Qu
Kailu Liu
Haoyang Zeng
Qiuyan Hu
Li Wang
author_sort Wanying Qu
collection DOAJ
description Abstract To enhance the insulation performance, strength, and fire resistance performance of foamed concrete, this paper investigates the effects of incorporating nano-silica aerogel and expanded perlite. A comprehensive comparison and analysis were conducted on the dry density, water absorption, mechanical performance, thermal conductivity, fire-resistant insulation, and microstructure of both Nano-SiO2 Aerogel Foamed Concrete (NSAFC) and Expanded Perlite Foamed Concrete (EPFC). The findings indicate that as the Nano-SiO2 Aerogel (NSA) content increases, the water absorption of the foamed concrete gradually rises. Conversely, the water absorption of the foamed concrete test blocks first increases and then decreases with an increase in Expanded Perlite (EP) content. It is noteworthy that, incorporating 10% NSA and EP reduces the dry density of foamed concrete by 12.7% and 7.8%, respectively. When EP content reaches 6%, the 28-d flexural and compressive strengths of the foamed concrete test blocks increase by 73.5% and 54.2%, respectively. Similarly, at NSA content of 6%, the 28-d flexural and compressive strengths increase by 70.5% and 39.6%, respectively. The fire-resistant insulation tests demonstrate that NSAFC exhibits superior thermal insulation and fire resistance performance compared to EPFC. Furthermore, SEM images demonstrate that the pore structure of NSAFC is more uniform.
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issn 2045-2322
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spelling doaj-art-48bc791ef9514b0ca826beab2769b0782025-08-20T01:54:22ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-03-0115111010.1038/s41598-025-96026-2Effect of SiO2 aerogel and perlite on properties of foamed concreteWanying Qu0Kailu Liu1Haoyang Zeng2Qiuyan Hu3Li Wang4School of Urban Construction, Wuhan University of Science and TechnologySchool of Urban Construction, Wuhan University of Science and TechnologySchool of Urban Construction, Wuhan University of Science and TechnologyCollege of Resources and Environment Engineering, Wuhan University of Science and TechnologyCollege of Resources and Environment Engineering, Wuhan University of Science and TechnologyAbstract To enhance the insulation performance, strength, and fire resistance performance of foamed concrete, this paper investigates the effects of incorporating nano-silica aerogel and expanded perlite. A comprehensive comparison and analysis were conducted on the dry density, water absorption, mechanical performance, thermal conductivity, fire-resistant insulation, and microstructure of both Nano-SiO2 Aerogel Foamed Concrete (NSAFC) and Expanded Perlite Foamed Concrete (EPFC). The findings indicate that as the Nano-SiO2 Aerogel (NSA) content increases, the water absorption of the foamed concrete gradually rises. Conversely, the water absorption of the foamed concrete test blocks first increases and then decreases with an increase in Expanded Perlite (EP) content. It is noteworthy that, incorporating 10% NSA and EP reduces the dry density of foamed concrete by 12.7% and 7.8%, respectively. When EP content reaches 6%, the 28-d flexural and compressive strengths of the foamed concrete test blocks increase by 73.5% and 54.2%, respectively. Similarly, at NSA content of 6%, the 28-d flexural and compressive strengths increase by 70.5% and 39.6%, respectively. The fire-resistant insulation tests demonstrate that NSAFC exhibits superior thermal insulation and fire resistance performance compared to EPFC. Furthermore, SEM images demonstrate that the pore structure of NSAFC is more uniform.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-96026-2Foamed concrete porous materialNano-SiO2 aerogelExpanded perliteThermal conductivityMechanical property
spellingShingle Wanying Qu
Kailu Liu
Haoyang Zeng
Qiuyan Hu
Li Wang
Effect of SiO2 aerogel and perlite on properties of foamed concrete
Scientific Reports
Foamed concrete porous material
Nano-SiO2 aerogel
Expanded perlite
Thermal conductivity
Mechanical property
title Effect of SiO2 aerogel and perlite on properties of foamed concrete
title_full Effect of SiO2 aerogel and perlite on properties of foamed concrete
title_fullStr Effect of SiO2 aerogel and perlite on properties of foamed concrete
title_full_unstemmed Effect of SiO2 aerogel and perlite on properties of foamed concrete
title_short Effect of SiO2 aerogel and perlite on properties of foamed concrete
title_sort effect of sio2 aerogel and perlite on properties of foamed concrete
topic Foamed concrete porous material
Nano-SiO2 aerogel
Expanded perlite
Thermal conductivity
Mechanical property
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-96026-2
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AT kailuliu effectofsio2aerogelandperliteonpropertiesoffoamedconcrete
AT haoyangzeng effectofsio2aerogelandperliteonpropertiesoffoamedconcrete
AT qiuyanhu effectofsio2aerogelandperliteonpropertiesoffoamedconcrete
AT liwang effectofsio2aerogelandperliteonpropertiesoffoamedconcrete