Cellulose nanomaterial (CNM)-based foams and aerogels with thermal conductivities substantially below the value for air attract significant interest as super-insulating materials in energy-efficient green buildings. However, the moisture dependence of the thermal conductivity of hygroscopic CNM-based materials is poorly understood, and the importance of phonon scattering in nanofibrillar foams remains unexplored. Here, we show that the thermal conductivity perpendicular to the aligned nanofibrils in super-insulating ice-templated nanocellulose foams is lower for thinner fibrils and depends strongly on relative humidity (RH), with the lowest thermal conductivity (14 mW m−1 K−1) attained at 35% RH. Molecular simulations show that the thermal boundary conductance is reduced by the moisture-uptake-controlled increase of the fibril-fibril separation distance and increased by the replacement of air with water in the foam walls. Controlling the heat transport of hygroscopic super-insulating nanofibrillar foams by moisture uptake and release is of potential interest in packaging and building applications.

Nanocellulose-based lightweight foams are promising alternatives to fossil-based insulation materials for energy-efficient buildings. The properties of cellulose-based materials are strongly influenced by moisture and there is a need to assess and better understand how the thermal conductivity of nanocellulose-based foams depends on the relative humidity and temperature. Here, we report a customized setup for measuring the thermal conductivity of hydrophilic materials under controlled temperature and relative humidity conditions. The thermal conductivity of isotropic foams based on cellulose nanofibrils and a nonionic polyoxamer, and an expanded polystyrene foam was measured over a wide range of temperatures and relative humidity. We show that a previously developed model is unable to capture the strong relative humidity dependence of the thermal conductivity of the hygroscopic, low-density nanocellulose- and nonionic polyoxamer-based foam. Analysis of the moisture uptake and moisture transport was used to develop an empirical model that takes into consideration the moisture content and the wet density of the investigated foam. The new empirical model could predict the thermal conductivity of a foam with a similar composition but almost 3 times higher density. Accurate measurements of the thermal conductivity at controlled temperature and relative humidity and availability of simple models to better predict the thermal conductivity of hygroscopic, low-density foams are necessary for the development of nanocellulose-based insulation materials.

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with high microporosity and relatively high thermal stability are potential thermal insulation and flame-retardant materials. However, the difficulties in processing and shaping MOFs have largely hampered their applications in these areas. This study outlines the fabrication of hybrid CNF@MOF aerogels by a stepwise assembly approach involving the coating and cross-linking of cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) with continuous nanolayers of MOFs. The cross-linking gives the aerogels high mechanical strength but superelasticity (80% maximum recoverable strain, high specific compression modulus of similar to 200 MPa cm(3) g(-1), and specific stress of similar to 100 MPa cm(3) g(-1)). The resultant lightweight aerogels have a cellular network structure and hierarchical porosity, which render the aerogels with relatively low thermal conductivity of similar to 40 mW m(-1) K-1. The hydrophobic, thermally stable MOF nanolayers wrapped around the CNFs result in good moisture resistance and fire retardancy. This study demonstrates that MOFs can be used as efficient thermal insulation and flame-retardant materials. It presents a pathway for the design of thermally insulating, superelastic fire-retardant nanocomposites based on MOFs and nanocellulose.

Thermally insulating materials based on renewable nanomaterials such as nanocellulose could reduce the energy consumption and the environmental impact of the building sector. Recent reports of superinsulating cellulose nanomaterial (CNM)-based aerogels and foams with significantly better heat transport properties than the commercially dominating materials, such as expanded polystyrene, polyurethane foams, and glass wool, have resulted in a rapidly increasing research activity. Herein, the fundamental basis of thermal conductivity of porous materials is described, and the anisotropic heat transfer properties of CNMs and films with aligned CNMs and the processing and structure of novel CNM-based aerogels and foams with low thermal conductivities are presented and discussed. The extraordinarily low thermal conductivity of anisotropic porous architectures and multicomponent approaches are highlighted and related to the contributions of the Knudsen effect and phonon scattering.