An aerogel-reinforced EPDM composite is a novel composite material made with ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) rubber as the matrix and aerogel as the reinforcing material. 
EPDM, known in Chinese as ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber, is a type of ethylene propylene rubber. Ethylene propylene rubber, also called polyethylene propylene, includes two types: binary ethylene propylene rubber and ternary ethylene propylene rubber. Ternary ethylene propylene rubber is a copolymer of ethylene, propylene, and a non-conjugated diene. EPDM features low density, excellent heat resistance, aging resistance, corrosion resistance, and electrical insulation properties. It has broad downstream applications, including wires and cables, adhesive tapes and hoses, automotive components, and building materials. 
EPDM has relatively low strength and poor self-reinforcing properties, requiring the addition of reinforcing fillers to improve mechanical performance. When carbon black is used as a reinforcing filler, the interfacial bonding strength between the two materials is weak. Moreover, a high loading of carbon black is needed to achieve sufficient hardness in EPDM, which simultaneously reduces its elasticity and increases its weight. 
Aerogels are characterized by high porosity, large specific surface area, low density, light weight, and excellent thermal insulation. According to the "2025 China Aerogel-Reinforced EPDM Composite Materials Market Special Research Report and Enterprise '15th Five-Year Plan' Recommendations," when common silica aerogel is used as a reinforcing material and added in small amounts to EPDM, it can enhance the mechanical strength of EPDM while maintaining its lightweight and high elasticity. Additionally, it imparts superior thermal insulation properties to EPDM. This material is known as aerogel-reinforced EPDM composite material. 
In China, the main research institutions involved in aerogel-reinforced EPDM composite materials include Beijing University of Technology, Beijing Institute of Technology, Taiyuan University of Technology, Shanxi Zhejiang University New Materials and Chemical Engineering Research Institute, and China Electric Power Research Institute Co., Ltd. Relevant research outcomes include academic papers such as "Preparation and Performance Study of Silica Aerogel/EPDM Rubber Composite Thermal Insulation Material" and "Mechanical Properties and Mullins Effect of EPDM Rubber Filled with Silica Powders of Different Microporous Structures," as well as patents like "A Thermal Runaway Protection Material, Its Preparation Method, and Lithium-Ion Energy Storage Battery." 
From the perspective of thermal runaway protection for lithium-ion batteries, although lithium-ion batteries are currently widely used in power and energy storage applications, they generate significant heat during operation, leading not only to energy loss but also posing risks of fire and explosion. Aerogel-reinforced EPDM composite materials exhibit excellent thermal insulation, mechanical strength, and thermal stability, effectively reducing heat transfer between battery cells and thereby significantly suppressing thermal runaway issues. 
Using EPDM as the base material and adding pigments, fillers, additives, and other components, plastic running tracks can be manufactured. EPDM tracks offer excellent weather resistance, corrosion resistance, wear resistance, and impact resistance, along with good flatness and ease of maintenance, making them widely used in schools, sports events, and other areas. In addition, EPDM can also be applied in the construction of children's playgrounds, garden pathways, and similar applications. 
Aerogel-reinforced EPDM composites can significantly enhance track performance, offering excellent strength, shock absorption, weather resistance, aging resistance, and service life, thus presenting broad development prospects in the field of sports events.