What is Aerogel?

What is aerogel? 

Aerogel is a new generation of highly efficient thermal insulation material with a nano-porous network structure and gaseous dispersant in pores. It is the lightest solid in the world. Its unique structure gives it outstanding performance in multiple fields such as thermal, acoustic, optical, electrical and mechanical. Currently, aerogel is mainly used for its high thermal insulation capacity in downstream applications such as petrochemicals, district heating networks, lithium batteries, building materials, outdoor clothing, aerospace and defense industries.

By applying aerogel materials to insulation and decorative board products, it not only meets the building industry's needs for energy saving, emission reduction and green building, but also improves the fire resistance, aesthetics and construction efficiency of buildings.

Aerogel holds 15 world records for material properties, a few of which are listed below. Aerogel is:

1.lightweight. It is, in fact, the lowest-density solid on the planet. Some types are composed of more than 99% air, yet they still function as solids;

2.extremely high in surface area. It can have a surface area up to 3,000 square meters per gram, meaning that a cubic inch of aerogel, if flattened out, could cover an entire football field; and

3.strong. It can support up to 4,000 times its own weight. In the picture at right, a 2-gram piece of the material is supporting a 5-pound brick.