Title: REINFORCED ORGANIC NATURAL FIBER COMPOSITES
Number/Link: WO2015/144267
Applicant/Assignee: Huntsman
Publication date: 1-10-2015
“Gist”: Aerogel particles are incorporated in composite wood boards
Why it is interesting: Composite wood products (OSB, MDF..) are well known and popular construction materials which are produced by compressing wood fibers (or flakes and the like) together with a binder like e.g. a polymeric MDI. Typically these materials show thermal conductivity values of about 50 mW/m.K at densities of around 200 kg/m³. According to this invention these insulation values can be significantly improved by incorporating (a large amount of) hydrophobic nanoporous particles and binding the composite with an in-water emulsified isocyanate. In the examples silica aerogel particles and wood fibers are mixed an bonded with an emulsifiable MDI. The amount of particles ranges from about 25 to 50% (w/w) resulting in composites with densities below 200 kg/m³ and insulation values of about 20 to 30 mW/mK.
Medium density fibreboard (MDF).
Innovation in Polyurethanes 
Avanindra Pratap Singh
/ October 3, 2015Thanks to share…
Jean Yves Germain
/ October 2, 2015I don’t see any advantage in using hydrophobic aerogel rather that micronized precipitated silica (for exemple Tixosil 375) which are cheaper and hydrophile. I expect a lower density and a better insulation with a hydrophobic micronized precipitated silica..
Gerhard Bleys
/ October 3, 2015I believe the aerogel has to be hydrophobic to prevent water ingress and keep it porous. Like in this Dow patent: https://purpatents.com/2013/04/23/nanoporous-insulation/