Effects of boric acid addition and sintering temperature on the thermal conductivity of perlite-based insulation materials

Abstract

In this study, the variation of thermal conductivity and density of 15 wt.-% boric acid - 85 wt.-% sepiolite, 30 wt.-% boric acid - 30 wt.-% sepiolite 40 wt.-% perlite, 30 wt.-% boric acid - 30 wt.-% cordierite - 40 wt.-% perlite and 30 wt.-% boric acid - 30 wt.-% alumina - 40 wt.-% perlite compositions at 700 degrees C and 900 degrees C sintering temperatures were investigated. The results show that increasing the amount of boric acid and decreasing the sintering temperature lead to an improvement in thermal insulation properties. There is a direct relation between the thermal conductivity and density of the specimens. Both physical properties change with a change in the sintering temperature and the composition characteristics. Minimum thermal conductivity has been observed in a specimen consisting of 30 wt.-% boric acid - 30 wt.-% alumina - 40 wt.-% perlite.