Engineering Materials

This book explores the improvement in thermal insulation properties of protein-based silica aerogel composites fabricated by a novel, inexpensive and feasiblemethod. The resulting material exhibits polymeric foam behavior including high compressibility, super-hydrophobic qualities and excellent strain recovery in addition to low thermal conductivity. The fabrication methodologies are explained in great detail and represented in flowcharts for easy reference and understanding. This monograph gives readers a new perspective on composite fabrication using methods other than the traditional ones and explores the endless ways of altering the composition to modify the properties of the silica aerogel composites. Applications for this novel composite are diverse and range from those in the pharmaceutical and aerospace industries to the oil and gas industries.