Reaction of aerogel containing ceramic fibre insulation to fire exposure

SUMMARY Aerogel containing ceramic fibre insulations represent a newly developed high performance insulation material applied in industrial installations and recently expanding rapidly into the construction industry to reduce the heat transfer through walls and ceilings. As a rather expensive material they are preferentially used in cases where slim layers of insulation are needed mainly in refurbishing of existing buildings especially those under heritage protection. The reaction to elevated temperatures in case of fire is a decisive property for building applications. The present article investigates the reaction to fire of an aerogel containing ceramic fibre insulation already available on the market. This reaction was monitored experimentally by means of temperature sensors at different depth in the material when subjected to the standard ISO fire. The measured temperature evolutions are discussed with respect to radiative heat transfer in an optically thick medium, temperature induced changes in density because of mass loss and the occurrence of endothermic and exothermic reactions detected by thermal analysis and compared with simulation results.