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Improving thermal insulation is vital for addressing thermal protection and energy efficiency challenges. Though silica aerogel has a record-low thermal conductivity at ambient pressure, its high production cost, due to its nanoscale porous structure, has hindered its widespread use. In this study, we introduce a cost-effective and mild method that enhances insulation by incorporating phase change materials (PCMs) into a micron-porous framework. With a thermal conductivity at 0.041 W m-1K-1 on par with conventional insulation materials, this PCMs aerogel presents additional advantages for thermal protection from transient high-temperature loads by effectively delaying heat propagation through heat absorption. Moreover, the PCMs aerogel remains stable under cyclic deformation and heating up to 300 °C and is self-extinguishing in the presence of fire. Our approach offers a promising alternative for affordable insulation materials with potential wide applications in thermal protection and energy conservation areas.

提升隔热性能对于解决热防护与能源效率领域的难题至关重要。尽管二氧化硅气凝胶（silica aerogel）在常压下拥有极低的热导率，但其纳米级多孔结构导致的高昂生产成本，阻碍了其大规模应用。本研究提出了一种经济高效且条件温和的制备方法：将相变材料（phase change materials，PCMs）掺入微米级多孔骨架中以提升隔热性能。该相变材料气凝胶的热导率为0.041 W·m⁻¹·K⁻¹，与传统隔热材料相当，且通过吸热有效延缓热传递，在瞬态高温载荷下的热防护方面具备额外优势。此外，该相变材料气凝胶在循环形变以及加热至300℃的条件下仍能保持结构稳定，且在火焰中可自熄。本研究提出的方案为低成本隔热材料提供了一种极具前景的替代选择，在热防护与节能领域具备广阔的应用潜力。