Abstract: Used is a method for producing a thermal insulation sheet, including: composite-forming including impregnating a nonwoven fabric with a basic sol prepared by adding a carbonate ester to a water glass composition to form a hydrogel-nonwoven fabric composite; surface-modifying including mixing the composite with a silylating agent for surface modification; and drying including removing liquid contained in the composite through drying at a temperature lower than the critical temperature of the liquid under a pressure lower than the critical pressure of the liquid. Used is a thermal insulation sheet including an aerogel and a nonwoven fabric, where the thermal insulation sheet exhibits a compressibility of 40% or lower at 0.30 to 5.0 MPa.

Abstract: A heat insulating material includes an aerogel that has macro-pores and meso-pores. A method for manufacturing a heat insulating material, including: a sol preparation step of adding a gelling agent into sodium silicate such that a molar ratio of the gelling agent relative to NaO2 is 0.1 to 0.75, and adjusting a sol into which macro-pores are introduced by leaving unreacted Na and non-cross-linked oxygen in a siloxane skeleton; an impregnating and gelling step of impregnating a nonwoven fabric fiber structure with the sol to form a composite of hydrogel-nonwoven fabric fiber; a hydrophobizating step of mixing the formed composite of hydrogel-nonwoven fabric fiber with a silylating agent to modify a surface thereof; and a drying step of removing a liquid contained in the surface modified composite of hydrogel-nonwoven fabric fiber by drying under a temperature and pressure lower than respective critical values.

Abstract: The battery module includes a plurality of batteries that are stacked and a heat transfer suppression member disposed between adjacent two batteries.

Abstract: Heat-insulation materials that can be placed along the lines of heat sources, heat-insulation structures using the same, and processes for producing the same. A heat-insulation material, that includes: fiber sheets that each have fibers and an aerogel and that have different sizes; and at least one covering material that covers the fiber sheets, or at least one elastic material that includes the fiber sheets. The at least one covering material may include a first covering material and a second covering material.

Abstract: A hydrophobic treatment method is used in which at least one sheet filled with a gelled silicic acid is tilted at least two degrees with respect to a horizontal direction in a hydrophobizing solution, and the gelled silicic acid is hydrophobized. A manufacturing method for a sheet-like member is also used. The manufacturing method includes: a sol preparing step of adjusting the pH of a water glass aqueous solution to obtain a sol solution of silicic acid; an adding step of adding the sol solution to a fiber; a gel step of polymerizing and gelling the sol solution; a hydrophobic treatment step of hydrophobizing the gel with the hydrophobic treatment method; and a drying step of drying the hydrophobized gel.

Abstract: Used is a method for producing a thermal insulation sheet, including: composite-forming including impregnating a nonwoven fabric with a basic sol prepared by adding a carbonate ester to a water glass composition to form a hydrogel-nonwoven fabric composite; surface-modifying including mixing the composite with a silylating agent for surface modification; and drying including removing liquid contained in the composite through drying at a temperature lower than the critical temperature of the liquid under a pressure lower than the critical pressure of the liquid. Used is a thermal insulation sheet including an aerogel and a nonwoven fabric, where the thermal insulation sheet exhibits a compressibility of 40% or lower at 0.30 to 5.0 MPa.

Abstract: Used is a method for producing a thermal insulation sheet, including: composite-forming including impregnating a nonwoven fabric with a basic sol prepared by adding a carbonate ester to a water glass composition to form a hydrogel-nonwoven fabric composite; surface-modifying including mixing the composite with a silylating agent for surface modification; and drying including removing liquid contained in the composite through drying at a temperature lower than the critical temperature of the liquid under a pressure lower than the critical pressure of the liquid. Used is a thermal insulation sheet including an aerogel and a nonwoven fabric, where the thermal insulation sheet exhibits a compressibility of 40% or lower at 0.30 to 5.0 MPa.

Abstract: In a method for manufacturing an aerogel, an acid is added to a first aqueous high-molar-ratio silicate solution that includes silica particles having a mean particle diameter of from 1 nm to 10 nm and that is alkaline, to produce a gel. The gel is subjected to a dehydration condensation to obtain a hydrogel. The hydrogel is converted into a hydrophobized gel. Then, the hydrophobized gel is dried. According to the method, an aerogel having a pore volume of from 3.00 cc/g to 10 cc/g, a mean pore diameter of from 10 nm to 68 nm, and a specific surface area of from 200 m2/g to 475 m2/g can be prepared.

Abstract: A manufacturing method of a heat insulating sheet of the present disclosure includes a composite generating step of impregnating a nonwoven fiber with a basic sol prepared to generate a composite of a hydrogel-nonwoven fiber, the basic sol being prepared by adding carbonate ester to a water glass composition; and a drying step of drying a liquid contained in the composite at a temperature lower than a critical temperature of the liquid and a pressure lower than a critical pressure of the liquid to remove the liquid from the composite. A heat insulating sheet according to the present disclosure includes an aerogel and a nonwoven fiber, and has a compression rate at 0.30 MPa to 5.0 MPa of 40% or less. In an electronic device of the present disclosure, the heat insulating sheet is disposed between an electronic component and a housing. In a battery unit of the present disclosure, the heat insulating sheet is disposed between batteries.

Abstract: A heat-insulation sheet includes a first silica xerogel layer, a second silica xerogel layer, and a composite layer. The first silica xerogel layer includes a first silica xerogel, and the second silica xerogel layer includes a second silica xerogel. The composite layer is located between the first silica xerogel layer and the second silica xerogel layer, and includes at least one type of unwoven fabric fibers, and a third silica xerogel. The third silica xerogel is located in a spatial volume of the unwoven fabric fibers.

Abstract: A heat-insulation sheet includes a first silica xerogel layer, a second silica xerogel layer, and a composite layer. The first silica xerogel layer includes a first silica xerogel, and the second silica xerogel layer includes a second silica xerogel. The composite layer is located between the first silica xerogel layer and the second silica xerogel layer, and includes at least one type of unwoven fabric fibers, and a third silica xerogel. The third silica xerogel is located in a spatial volume of the unwoven fabric fibers.

Abstract: A heat insulating material includes an aerogel that has macro-pores and meso-pores. A method for manufacturing a heat insulating material, including: a sol preparation step of adding a gelling agent into sodium silicate such that a molar ratio of the gelling agent relative to NaO2 is 0.1 to 0.75, and adjusting a sol into which macro-pores are introduced by leaving unreacted Na and non-cross-linked oxygen in a siloxane skeleton; an impregnating and gelling step of impregnating a nonwoven fabric fiber structure with the sol to form a composite of hydrogel-nonwoven fabric fiber; a hydrophobizating step of mixing the formed composite of hydrogel-nonwoven fabric fiber with a silylating agent to modify a surface thereof; and a drying step of removing a liquid contained in the surface modified composite of hydrogel-nonwoven fabric fiber by drying under a temperature and pressure lower than respective critical values.

Abstract: The battery module includes a plurality of batteries that are stacked and a heat transfer suppression member disposed between adjacent two batteries.

Abstract: A heat-insulation sheet includes a first silica xerogel layer, a second silica xerogel layer, and a composite layer. The first silica xerogel layer includes a first silica xerogel, and the second silica xerogel layer includes a second silica xerogel. The composite layer is located between the first silica xerogel layer and the second silica xerogel layer, and includes at least one type of unwoven fabric fibers, and a third silica xerogel. The third silica xerogel is located in a spatial volume of the unwoven fabric fibers.

Abstract: In a method for manufacturing an aerogel, an acid is added to a first aqueous high-molar-ratio silicate solution that includes silica particles having a mean particle diameter of from 1 nm to 10 nm and that is alkaline, to produce a gel. The gel is subjected to a dehydration condensation to obtain a hydrogel. The hydrogel is converted into a hydrophobized gel. Then, the hydrophobized gel is dried. According to the method, an aerogel having a pore volume of from 3.00 cc/g to 10 cc/g, a mean pore diameter of from 10 nm to 68 nm, and a specific surface area of from 200 m2/g to 475 m2/g can be prepared.

Abstract: A heat-insulation material, includes: a first substrate layer that includes an aerogel and first fibers; and a second substrate layer that is layered on the first substrate layer and that includes an aerogel and second fibers, wherein a volume density of the aerogel in the first substrate layer is larger than a volume density of the aerogel in the second substrate layer, and an amount of the aerogel that is present around a first surface of the second substrate layer inside the second substrate layer, not adjacent to the first substrate layer, is smaller than an amount of the aerogel that is present around a second surface (inside the second substrate layer adjacent to the first substrate layer.

Abstract: In a method for manufacturing an aerogel, an acid is added to a first aqueous high-molar-ratio silicate solution that includes silica particles having a mean particle diameter of from 1 nm to 10 nm and that is alkaline, to produce a gel. The gel is subjected to a dehydration condensation to obtain a hydrogel. The hydrogel is converted into a hydrophobized gel. Then, the hydrophobized gel is dried. According to the method, an aerogel having a pore volume of from 3.00 cc/g to 10 cc/g, a mean pore diameter of from 10 nm to 68 nm, and a specific surface area of from 200 m2/g to 475 m2/g can be prepared.

Abstract: A heat insulating material is a sheet including a fiber and an aerogel. The fiber is aligned in a certain direction in the sheet. A heat insulating structure is used that includes: a high-temperature unit; a low-temperature; and the heat insulating material joining the high-temperature unit and the low-temperature to each other. The certain direction of the heat insulating material is a direction in which the high-temperature unit and the low-temperature unit are joined to each other. A heat insulating structure is used that includes: a first battery cell; a second battery cell; the heat insulating material disposed between the first battery cell and the second battery cell; and a cooling plate that is in contact with the first battery cell, the second battery cell, and the heat insulating material.

Abstract: A heat insulator is provided that has a coating structure preventing separation of silica aerogel in a composite sheet. The heat insulator includes: a composite layer having silica aerogel enclosed in a nonwoven fabric; and a coating film containing a hydrophilic resin and a lipophilic resin and coating a surface of the composite layer. The nonwoven fabric resides in the coating film. In the coating film, the heat insulator includes the lipophilic resin which is present in the hydrophilic resin in the form of a plurality of islands.

Abstract: Used is a method for producing a thermal insulation sheet, including: composite-forming including impregnating a nonwoven fabric with a basic sol prepared by adding a carbonate ester to a water glass composition to form a hydrogel-nonwoven fabric composite; surface-modifying including mixing the composite with a silylating agent for surface modification; and drying including removing liquid contained in the composite through drying at a temperature lower than the critical temperature of the liquid under a pressure lower than the critical pressure of the liquid. Used is a thermal insulation sheet including an aerogel and a nonwoven fabric, where the thermal insulation sheet exhibits a compressibility of 40% or lower at 0.30 to 5.0 MPa.