ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a summary of the studies on thermal mortars with aerogel and some of the main difficulties concerning the incorporation of the superinsulating material in mortars. Silica aerogel is a nanostructured material with high total porosity and small pore size. The incorporation of silica aerogel has only recently begun to be exploited, and there are only a few mortars with aerogel incorporation in the European market and some patented mortars. There has been a long-standing concern about thermal comfort inside buildings, with the first thermal insulation panels emerging in the 19th century through the processing of organic materials. Nanomaterials can improve some characteristics of the construction products and add new functions such as photocatalytic, antifogging, and self-sensing abilities. The high thermal insulation capacity of aerogel can be justified by its high total porosity and small particle size that make up the structure, resulting in a solid structure occupying a small part of the aerogel.
