Safety of Aerogel Materials
A special issue of Gels (ISSN 2310-2861). This special issue belongs to the section "Gel Processing and Engineering".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 1422
Special Issue Editors
Interests: silica aerogels; aerogel composites; thermal insulation; thermal hazards; thermal analysis; impact resistance; personal safety protection
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: pyrolysis; building fires; aircraft fire safety; personnel evacuation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Since their first synthesis in 1931, aerogels have garnered significant attention due to their distinctive three-dimensional nano/microporous structures. These structures impart exceptional properties, including low density, high surface area, and low thermal conductivity, making aerogels versatile materials widely utilized in various applications such as adsorption, catalysis, drug delivery, thermal and acoustic insulation, and environmental remediation.
As the range of aerogel applications continues to expand, significant safety challenges have emerged. For instance, aerogels containing organic components are susceptible to thermal hazards when exposed to high temperatures or fire, with the potential to ignite under specific conditions. In the case of aerogel powders, there is an additional risk of combustion or dust explosions. Moreover, the production of aerogel materials presents safety concerns, including the risk of fire and explosion from organic solvents, solvent corrosion and leakage, as well as air and water pollution. Occupational health risks are also significant, extending across the stages of production, storage, transportation, and utilization. These safety issues present substantial barriers to the practical deployment of aerogel materials.
Addressing these challenges is crucial for the advancement of aerogel technology and its broader application across industries. Therefore, this Special Issue is dedicated to exploring the safety aspects of aerogels throughout their entire lifecycle. We invite submissions that examine, topics including but not limited to, the safety characteristics and thermal safety of aerogels, the environmental impacts associated with their production and use, and the process safety and occupational health risks encountered during their lifecycle. Additionally, we encourage contributions that focus on lifecycle assessment, propose strategies to mitigate safety risks, and explore safety-related applications of aerogels.
By fostering the exchange of various insights on safety issues of aerogel materials, this Special Issue aims to advance the field, paving the way for their broader industrial and commercial adoption.
Dr. Zhi Li
Dr. Changcheng Liu
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Gels is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- aerogels
- safety
- safety characteristics
- thermal safety
- environmental impacts
- process safety
- occupational health risks
- lifecycle assessment
- safety applications
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