Identifying gaps in practical use of epoxy foam/aerogels: review - solutions and prospects

Abstract

Epoxy foam/aerogel materials (EP-AGs) have potential in the aerospace, construction, and energy industries, allowing the development of lightweight high-performance products for a wide range of applications. Research interest in developing EP-AGs is increasing as it has the potential to create greener and more sustainable materials for making various products. Several commercial applications of EP-AGs and techniques for creating, processing, and drying them have already been reported. The introduction of EP-AGs into value-added materials is one of the most promising options but suffers from a lack of knowledge about the relationships between microstructure and properties. The current obstacles to their use in the industrial sector and for applications and challenges related to factory scale-up are also taken into account. EP-AGs are hindered by critical gaps in applicational and processing complexity, such as scaling up from laboratory to large-scale production, optimizing synthesis and processing techniques, and developing standardized testing protocols. The review focuses on the processing complexities and further difficulties associated with EP-AGs to improve casting burdens, cost-effectiveness, and accessibility in various applications. This review also examines the challenges in synthesizing EP-AGs used to make special materials, their practices, and the technological barriers one would face.