Tecnalia Research and Innovation has coordinated an FP7 project known as AEROCOINs to develop a new superinsulating aerogel material for the construction industry.
AEROCOINs
This European project will overcome two key issues, which have prevented the use of insulating components based on silica aerogels, nanostructured amorphous materials, in construction and buildings. The issues are high production cost and poor mechanical features of silica aerogel. Silica aerogels are the lightest solid materials that have porosities greater than 90% and pore sizes ranging from 4 nm to 20 nm. These properties turn them into the world’s lowest thermal conductivity materials under ambient conditions.
The FP7 project requires a total investment of €4.3 million and it plans to combine nanotechnology and sol-gel chemistry for advancing the development of new superinsulating materials. An aerogel-based insulation material with the same thickness can be used as an alternative to a standard insulation. This will increase the energy-efficiency of buildings as well as reduce energy consumption for heating and cooling devices. This in turn will minimize the total demand for energy and greenhouse gas emission.
The AEROCOINs project will continue for 4 years and the consortium comprises five technology centers, two major companies, one university partner and a renowned SME: ZAE Bayern (Germany), VTT (Finland), EMPA (Switzerland), ARMINES/MINES ParisTech (France), TECNALIA (Spain), ACCIONA INFRAESTRUCTURAS (Spain), PCAS (France), TUL University (Poland) and SEPAREX (France).