Massive quantities of fly ash are produced worldwide from thermal power plants, posing a serious environmental threat due to their storage and disposal problems. In this study, for the first time, fly ash is converted into an advanced and novel aerogel through a green and eco-friendly process. The developed aerogel has a low density of 0.10–0.19 g cm⁻³, a high porosity of up to 90%, a low thermal conductivity of 0.042–0.050 W/mK, and a good sound absorption coefficient (noise reduction coefficient [NRC] value of 0.20–0.30). It also shows a high compressive Young’s modulus of up to 150 kPa. Therefore, the newly developed fly ash aerogel is a potential material for thermal and acoustic insulation applications, along with lightweight composites in automotive and aerospace applications.

全球范围内，火力发电厂生产大量的粉煤灰，由于其储存和处置问题，对环境构成了严重威胁。在这项研究中，粉煤灰首次通过绿色环保的过程转化为先进的新型气凝胶。研制的气凝胶的密度低至0.10–0.19 g cm ^-3，高孔隙率可达90％，导热率低至0.042–0.050 W / mK，吸声系数（降噪系数[NRC]）好值0.20–0.30）。它还显示了高达150 kPa的高压缩杨氏模量。因此，新开发的粉煤灰气凝胶与汽车和航空航天应用中的轻质复合材料一起，是用于隔热和隔音应用的潜在材料。