ADVANCED AEROGEL FABRICATION AND APPLICATIONS FROM INDUSTRIAL WASTES

Abstract

According to the European Waste Codes EWC 19.12.08, textile fibers from end-of-life tires are special wastes that must be burned or buried. However, these activities would pose additional risks, including soil pollution and groundwater contamination. Scientists are continually discovering more new ways to recycle these wastes in order to minimize their ecological consequences. Our effort has also been directed into this direction, and we have been able to convert these textile fibers into aerogels, an ideal candidate for a wide range of advanced applications due to their low density, high porosity, low thermal conductivity, and high sound absorption coefficient. This thesis presents a novel but time-saving and straightforward strategy to fabricate rubber aerogel from recycled textile fibers derived from car tire wastes.