The experimental results of the thermal conductivities of xonotlite-type calcium silicate insulation materials were presented at different temperatures and pressures. Two appropriative surroundings, i.e. an elevated temperature surrounding from ambient temperature to 1450 K and a vacuum surrounding from atmosphere pressure to 10-3 Pa, were designed for the transient hot-strip （THS） method. The thermal conductivities of xonotlite-type calcium silicate with four densities from ambient temperature to 1000 K and 0.045 Pa to atmospheric pressure were measured. The results show that the thermal conductivity of xonotlite-type calcium silicate decreases apparently with the fall of density, and decreases apparently with the drop of pressure, and reaches the least value at about 100 Pa. The thermal conductivity of xonotlite-type calcium silicate increases almost linearly with T0, and increases more abundantly with low density than with high density. The thermal conductivity measurement uncertainty is estimated to be approximately 3% at ambient temperature, and 6% at 800 K.
A 3-dimensional unit cell model is developed for analyzing effective thermal conductivity of xonotlite-aerogelcomposite insulation material based on its microstructure features. Effective thermal conductivity comparisonsbetween xonotlite-type calcium silicate and aerogel as well as xonotlite-aerogel composite insulation material arepresented. It is shown that the density of xonotlite-type calcium silicate is the key factor affecting the effectivethermal conductivity of xonotlite-aerogel composite insulation material, and the density of aerogel has little influence.The effective thermal conductivity can be lowered greatly by composite of the two materials at an elevatedtemperature.
