Innovative silica aerogel-based core sandwich panels

Silica aerogel, despite its exceptional properties (low thermal conductivity, high porosity, and low density) still faces significant drawbacks, including high processing costs and poor structural integrity, which limit its widespread use. As a result, reinforcement is therefore essential. A promising approach involves using silica aerogel as the core layer in sandwich panels. These panels combine materials with complementary properties to mitigate individual weaknesses and unlock new applications. In this study, sandwich panels with silica aerogel cores were fabricated using external layers such as Oriented Strand Board (OSB), gypsum board, and expanded cork. The goal was to achieve low thermal conductivity while maintaining acceptable strength. The study also evaluated additional properties relevant to building applications, such as moisture sorption and mechanical resistance. Moreover, strengthening strategies were developed to enhance the core layer’s performance. Various designs were tested to assess both mechanical and thermal insulation behavior. The results emphasized the need for structural reinforcement when maximizing the quantity of silica aerogel in the core layer. Among the tested materials, OSB panels offered the best structural properties, while cork panels delivered the best thermal insulation, achieving a thermal conductivity as low as 0.040 mW.m -1 .K -1 . Additionally, the cork panels demonstrated interesting structural properties, as the skin being soft, the load is directly applied to the reinforcement rather than on the layer itself. • The development of a new application for silica aerogel, • An evaluation of its efficiency in a sandwich panels-like structure, • A compressive understanding of the strength of sandwich panels with silica aerogel as the core layer, • An investigation of strengthening strategies to compensate the weakness of the core layer, • An evaluation of the potential effects of different strengthening strategies on thermal conductivity.