Particulate poly (m-phenylene isophthalamide) aerogels by a dropwise wet-curing method

Aerogels are promising for many applications including thermal insulation, owing to their nano-porous structure, low thermal conductivity, etc. In the present study, particulate poly (m-phenylene isophthalamide, PMIA) aerogels were prepared for the first time based on a dropwise wet-curing method. The structure, thermal stability and heat blocking properties of the resultant aerogels were characterized. These aerogel particles are observed to be about 1.5 mm in diameter, with porous cores and dense shells. The pores in the core are uniform and mostly nanoscale, giving the prepared particulate PMIA aerogels attractive thermal insulation ability. Besides, changing PMIA to aerogels will not damage its chemical structure, indicative of a good inheritance of high-temperature endurance. The prepared particulate PMIA aerogels therefore may have broad prospects for high-temperature thermal insulation applications.