Aerogel spunlace nonwoven fabric is a functional material made by compounding aerogel particles/fibers with traditional fibers (such as polyester, viscose, aramid, etc.) through the spunlace process. Its core advantage lies in the integration of the “ultra-light weight and ultra-low thermal conductivity” of aerogel with the “softness, breathability and easy processability” of spunlace non-woven fabric. It not only solves the pain points of traditional aerogel (block, powder) being fragile and difficult to form, but also makes up for the shortcomings of ordinary non-woven fabric in terms of heat insulation and heat preservation performance. Therefore, it is widely applied in scenarios where there is a demand for “efficient heat insulation + flexible bonding”.
Field of warm clothing and outdoor Equipment
The “low thermal conductivity + flexibility” characteristics of aerogel spunlace non-woven fabric make it an ideal choice for high-end thermal insulation materials, especially suitable for clothing and equipment with high requirements for “lightweight warmth retention, breathability and non-studiness”. The main application forms are as follows
1.High-end thermal clothing interlayer
➤Outdoor down jackets/windbreakers: Traditional down jackets rely on the fluffiness of the down to keep warm. They are heavy and their warmth retention drops sharply when exposed to moisture. Aerogel spunlace non-woven fabric (typically with a surface density of 30-80g/㎡) can be used as an interlayer material, mixed with down or used alone. Its thermal conductivity is as low as 0.020-0.030W/(m · K), which is only 1/2 to 2/3 of that of down. It can reduce the weight of clothing by 30% to 50% under the same thermal insulation effect. And it still maintains stable heat insulation when exposed to moisture, making it suitable for extreme outdoor environments such as high altitudes, rain and snow.
➤Underwear/home wear: For winter thermal underwear, aerogel spunlace non-woven fabric can be made into a thin (20-30g/㎡) bonding layer. When it adheres to the skin, there is no foreign body sensation, and at the same time, it blocks the loss of body heat, achieving “light warmth without bulkiness”. Moreover, the breathability brought by the spunlace process can avoid the problem of sweat retention in traditional thermal underwear.
➤Children’s clothing: Children have a high level of physical activity, so they have high requirements for the softness and safety of clothing. Aerogel spunlace non-woven fabric is non-irritating and flexible, and can be used as the inner lining of children’s down jackets and cotton-padded clothes. It not only ensures warmth retention but also avoids skin allergies that may be caused by traditional insulation materials (such as chemical fiber cotton).
2.Insulation components for outdoor equipment
➤Sleeping bag inner liner/shoe material insulation layer: Outdoor sleeping bags need to balance warmth and portability. Aerogel spunlace non-woven fabric can be made into sleeping bag inner liners. After folding, its volume is only 1/4 of that of traditional cotton sleeping bags, making it suitable for backpacking and camping. In outdoor hiking shoes, it can be used as the inner lining layer of the tongue and heel to prevent the heat from the feet from dissipating through the shoe body.
At the same time, its breathability can prevent the feet from sweating and getting damp.
Gloves/hats thermal lining: Winter outdoor gloves and hats need to fit the curves of the hands/head. Aerogel spunlace non-woven fabric can be directly cut into the corresponding shape and used as the lining material, which not only ensures the warmth of the fingertips, ear tips and other parts that are prone to getting cold, but also does not affect the flexibility of hand movement (traditional block aerogel cannot fit the curved parts).
Industrial insulation and pipeline insulation field
In industrial scenarios, the insulation and heat preservation of high-temperature equipment and pipelines need to take into account “high efficiency and energy conservation + safety and durability”. Compared with traditional insulation materials (such as rock wool and glass wool), aerogel spunlace non-woven fabric is lighter, dust-free and easier to install. Its main applications include
1.Flexible insulation layer for high-temperature pipelines/equipment
➤Chemical/power pipelines: Chemical reaction vessels and power plant steam pipelines (temperature 150-400℃) traditionally use rock wool pipe shells for insulation, which is cumbersome to install and prone to dust pollution. Aerogel spunlace non-woven fabric can be made into rolls or sleeves and directly wound or wrapped around the surface of pipes. Its flexibility enables it to adapt to complex parts such as pipe bends and joints, without dust shedding. Moreover, it has a high heat insulation efficiency, which can reduce the heat loss of pipes by 15% to 25% and lower the energy consumption costs of enterprises.
➤Local insulation of mechanical equipment: For local high-temperature components of equipment such as engines and boilers (such as exhaust pipes and heating tubes), insulation materials need to be adhered to the irregular surfaces. Aerogel spunlace non-woven fabric can be cut and sewn to fit components, avoiding gaps that traditional rigid insulation materials (such as ceramic fiber boards) cannot cover, and at the same time preventing operators from getting burned when touching high-temperature components.
2.Lining of industrial kilns/ovens
➤Small industrial kilns/drying equipment: The inner linings of traditional kilns are mostly thick refractory bricks or ceramic fiber blankets, which are heavy and have a high thermal conductivity. Aerogel spunlace non-woven fabric can be compounded with high-temperature resistant fibers (such as aramid and glass fiber) to make lightweight linings, with a thickness of only 1/3 to 1/2 of traditional materials. This not only reduces heat dissipation in kilns and improves heating efficiency, but also lowers the overall weight of kilns and extends the service life of equipment.
Electronics and New Energy Fields
Electronic and new energy products have strict requirements for “heat insulation protection + safety flame retardancy”. Aerogel spunlace non-woven fabric can meet their dual demands of “flexible heat insulation + insulation flame retardancy” by adjusting the fiber ratio (such as adding flame retardant fibers). The specific applications are as follows:
1.Thermal runaway protection for lithium batteries
➤Heat insulation pad for power battery pack: When the power battery of a new energy vehicle is charging, discharging or experiencing thermal runaway, the temperature of the battery cells can suddenly rise above 500℃, which can easily trigger a chain reaction between adjacent cells. Aerogel spunlace non-woven fabric can be made into custom-shaped heat insulation pads, which can be placed between battery cells or between battery cells and the outer shell of the pack. Through efficient heat insulation, it delays heat transfer, buying power-off and cooling time for the battery management system (BMS) and reducing the risk of fire and explosion. At the same time, its flexible characteristics can adapt to the tiny gaps in the arrangement of battery cells, avoiding the problem of detachment caused by vibration of traditional rigid insulation materials (such as ceramic sheets).
➤Insulation layer of energy storage battery modules: The battery modules of large-scale energy storage power stations need to operate for a long time. Aerogel spunlace non-woven fabric can serve as an insulation barrier between the modules to prevent the heat generated by a single module from affecting the surrounding modules due to failure. Moreover, its flame retardancy (UL94 V-0 level can be achieved by adjusting the fibers) can further enhance the safety of the energy storage system.
2.Heat dissipation/insulation protection for electronic components
➤Consumer electronics (mobile phones, computers) : When mobile phone processors and computer cpus are running, the local temperature can reach 60-80℃. Traditional heat dissipation materials (such as graphite sheets) can only conduct heat and cannot prevent the heat from being transferred to the body shell. Aerogel spunlace non-woven fabric can be made into thin (10-20g/㎡) heat insulation sheets, which are attached between the chip and the shell to block heat transfer to the shell and prevent users from getting hot when touching it. At the same time, its breathability can assist the chip in heat dissipation and prevent heat accumulation.
➤LED lighting equipment: LED beads will generate heat when working for a long time, which will affect their service life. Aerogel spunlace non-woven fabric can be used as the inner insulation layer of LED lamps, preventing the heat of the lamp beads from being transferred to the lamp shell. This not only protects the shell material (such as plastic shells to avoid high-temperature aging), but also reduces the risk of burns for users when touching the lamps.
Medical and health care field
The medical scenario has extremely high requirements for the “safety (non-irritating, sterile) and functionality (heat insulation, breathability)” of materials. Aerogel spunlace non-woven fabric, with its “flexibility + low allergenicity + controllable heat insulation” characteristics, plays a significant role in medical protection and rehabilitation care.
1.Medical thermal insulation and protective equipment
➤Surgical patient thermal blanket: During surgery, the patient’s body surface is exposed, which can easily affect the surgical outcome and postoperative recovery due to hypothermia. Aerogel spunlace non-woven fabric can be made into disposable medical thermal blankets to cover non-surgical areas of patients. Its highly efficient heat insulation property can reduce heat loss from the body surface, while its breathability prevents patients from sweating. Moreover, the material can be sterilized by ethylene oxide, meeting medical sterility standards and avoiding cross-infection.
➤Low-temperature medical protective gloves: In scenarios such as cryotherapy (like liquid nitrogen cryotherapy for freckle-removing) and cold chain drug transportation, operators need to come into contact with low-temperature objects (-20℃ to -196 ℃). Traditional gloves have insufficient warmth retention and are heavy. Aerogel spunlace non-woven fabric can be used as the inner layer of gloves, ensuring flexible hand operation while blocking the conduction of low temperatures and preventing hand frostbite.
2. Rehabilitation care heat insulation auxiliary materials
➤Burn/scald rehabilitation dressings: The skin barrier of burn patients is damaged, and it is necessary to avoid sudden changes in wound temperature or external stimulation. Aerogel spunlace non-woven fabric can be made into the outer insulation layer of rehabilitation dressings, which can not only maintain a constant temperature environment in the local area of the wound (conducive to tissue repair), but also isolate the stimulation of cold air or heat sources from the outside to the wound. At the same time, its softness can fit the curved parts of the body (such as joint wounds), and its breathability can reduce the risk of infection caused by the stuffiness of the wounds.
➤Hot compress/cold compress patch carriers: Traditional hot compress patches are prone to causing burns due to concentrated heat, while cold compress patches can cause discomfort due to rapid conduction of low temperatures. Aerogel spunlace non-woven fabric can serve as an intermediate buffer layer for hot compress/cold compress patches. By controlling the conduction speed of heat/cold, it enables the temperature to be released slowly, prolongates the comfortable experience time, and adheres to the skin without irritation.
Construction and Home Furnishing Field
In the scenarios of building energy conservation and home insulation, the “flexible and easy construction + highly efficient heat insulation” characteristics of aerogel spunlace non-woven fabric can solve the problems of complex construction and easy cracking of traditional building insulation materials (such as extruded polystyrene boards and insulation mortar). The main applications include
1. Building energy-saving insulation layer
➤Interior/exterior wall insulation lining: Traditional exterior wall insulation mostly uses rigid panels, which need to be cut and pasted during construction, and are prone to thermal Bridges at the joints. Aerogel spunlace non-woven fabric can be made into rolls and directly adhered to the base of interior or exterior walls. Its flexibility enables it to cover wall gaps, corners and other parts, effectively blocking thermal Bridges. Moreover, it is lightweight (about 100g/㎡) and will not increase the load on the wall, making it suitable for old house renovations or light buildings.
➤Door and window sealing and insulation strips: Door and window gaps are one of the main sources of energy consumption in buildings. Aerogel spunlace non-woven fabric can be combined with rubber and sponge to make sealing and insulation strips, which can be embedded in the gaps of doors and Windows. This not only ensures sealing and air leakage prevention but also reduces heat transfer through the gaps through the insulation property of aerogel, thereby enhancing the stability of indoor temperature.
2. Home insulation products
➤Insulation inner lining of refrigerators/freezers: The insulation layer of traditional refrigerators is mostly made of polyurethane foam material, which is thick and has a relatively high thermal conductivity. Aerogel spunlace non-woven fabric can be used as an auxiliary insulation layer for the inner liner of a refrigerator. It is attached between the foamed layer and the inner liner, which can enhance the insulation effect at the same thickness or reduce the thickness of the foamed layer and increase the internal volume of the refrigerator at the same insulation effect.
➤Household pipe/water tank insulation covers: Solar water tanks and hot water pipes in the home need to be insulated to reduce heat loss. Aerogel spunlace non-woven fabric can be made into detachable insulation covers, which can be placed on the surface of pipes or water tanks. They are easy to install and disassemble, and have better heat insulation performance than traditional cotton fabric insulation covers. They are not prone to aging or deformation after long-term use.
The core application of aerogel spunlace nonwoven fabric is “achieving efficient heat insulation in a flexible form”. Its essence lies in breaking through the molding limitations of aerogel through the spunlace process, while endowing traditional nonwoven fabric with high-end functionality. With the increasing demand for “lightweight, efficient and flexible” materials in industries such as new energy, high-end manufacturing and outdoor equipment, their applications will expand to more specialized fields (such as insulation for flexible energy storage devices, protection for microelectronic components, and lightweight insulation for aerospace, etc.), and their future development potential is significant.
Post time: Sep-17-2025