Effects of physisorption of xenon on the thermal conductivity of resorcinol-formaldehyde aerogels.
The effects of adsorption of xenon to the thermal conductivity of a resorcinol-formaldehyde aerogel were investigated in a temperature range from 20 to 120 K. It was found that at temperatures below 75 K, the adsorbed xenon has little effect on the thermal conductivity. Rapid rises of the thermal conductivity develop at temperatures around 75-80 K with magnitudes roughly proportional to the amount of xenon adsorbed. The effect is explained as due to adsorbed xenon atoms that enhance the neck connection between aerogel particles.