1. Problems and development direction of aerogel
1. The formation mechanism needs to be further studied
     Although new aerogel materials such as carbides, nitrides, quantum dots, biomase-based organic and carbon aerogels have been successfully prepared, the synthesis mechanism of such aerogel materials is not yet deeply studied. Meanwhile, the growth mechanism of aerogel network structure, surface composition, chemical structure regulation and high-temperature structural stability regulation need further research. In the later stage, it is necessary to focus on the combination of quantum chemistry and molecular dynamics calculation and experimental research, so as to achieve in-depth research on the formation mechanism of aerogel materials from the molecular and atomic levels and further optimize and control the properties of aerogel materials.
2. The research of functional aerogel materials needs to be further deepened
     The application research of aerogels in electrode materials, semiconductor materials, magnetic materials and other aspects is not perfect, and the research on the relationship between structure and performance is not in-depth, so it is necessary to further study its internal mechanism and reveal the correlation between performance and structure. Meanwhile, high-performance and multi-functional aerogels need to be further developed for the performance of aerogels.
3. The problem of large-scale production has not been solved
     In terms of industrial production, aerogel due to the high cost, construction is not easy to limit its large-scale application, the need to use more low-cost precursor, combined with lower cost drying means, so as to improve the production process, further reduce the cost of aerogel materials, promote the industrial production of aerogel. Only in this way, aerogel materials are expected to become super materials to promote social development and change in the future, and bring real innovation to human life.


                                         

2. Market size of aerogel
     Aerogel is a new material with excellent thermal insulation properties, and has broad application prospects in oil and gas, new energy batteries, wall insulation and other fields. At present, the common aerogels on the market are usually silicon aerogels, carbon aerogels and silica aerogels. In recent years, the market size of aerogel in China has maintained a growing trend. In 2021, the size of China's aerogel market will reach 1.756 billion yuan, with a compound growth rate of the past five years 23.58%. It is expected that the market size of aerogel in China will reach 2.682 billion yuan in 2023. Aerogel products in China are mainly divided into two parts: aerogel materials and aerogel products, of which aerogel materials are less difficult to produce than products, accounting for a larger proportion. In terms of the market share of aerogel products, in 2021 aerogel materials accounted for 58% and aerogel products accounted for 42%. With the continuous maturity of aerogel application technology, the continuous advancement of industrialization and the strong support of policies, the production and consumption of aerogel materials have increased significantly in recent years.
     In 2021, the production and consumption of aerogel materials in China reached 121,000 cubic meters and 118,000 cubic meters, respectively, with a compound growth rate of 23.51% and 22.15% in 5 years. Analysts expect that the domestic production and consumption of aerogel materials will increase to 161,000 cubic meters and 157,000 cubic meters respectively in 2023. At present, the main products of China's aerogel industry are aerogel insulation felt, insulation board, thermal insulation powder and thermal insulation lighting tile. With the development of aerogel production technology in domestic enterprises and the improvement of domestic product competitiveness, the aerogel product industry has been expanding. In 2021, the output of aerogel products in China will reach 154,000 tons, an increase of 22.14%. The consumption of aerogel products was 179,000 tons, an increase of 21.7%. Production and consumption are expected to reach 210,000 tons and 2.3 million tons respectively in 2023.
     The excellent properties of aerogel and the higher production and raw material costs than traditional materials are the main reasons for the limited use. According to the instructions. The data shows that the material cost is about 48% of the total cost, and the manufacturing cost is about 44%. Specifically, the production costs of aerogel are mainly focused on silicon sources, equipment depreciation and energy consumption. Therefore, the future aerogels should start with drying costs and raw material costs to save costs.
     From the perspective of downstream applications, oil and gas engineering accounts for the highest proportion in the downstream of aerogel in China, accounting for about 56%; Secondly, industrial insulation accounted for 18%, construction manufacturing accounted for 9%, and road transport (lithium batteries) accounted for 8%. With the deepening of China's green environmental protection concept, the future construction, road transportation and other fields will become the rapid growth of aerogel industries. According to IDTechex forecasts, by 2026, the proportion of aerogel used for construction will increase to 14%, the proportion for road transport will increase to 13%, and the proportion for oil and gas and industrial insulation will decrease to 47% and 15% respectively.