State-of-the-art thermal insulation solutions like vacuum insulation panels (VIP) and aerogels have low thermal conductivity, but their drawbacks may make them unable to be the thermal insulation solutions that will revolutionize the building industry regarding energy-efficient building envelopes. Nevertheless, learning from these materials may be crucial to make new and novel high-performance thermal insulation products. This study presents a review on the state-of-the-art air-filled thermal insulation materials for building purposes, with respect to both commercial and novel laboratory developments. VIP, even if today’s solutions require a core with vacuum in the pores, are also treated briefly, as they bear the promise of developing high-performance thermal insulation materials without the need of vacuum. In addition, possible pathways for taking the step from today´s solutions to new ones for the future using existing knowledge and research are discussed. A special focus is made on the possible utilization of the Knudsen effect in air-filled nanopore thermal insulation materials.
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