Some call it "frozen smoke" Despite its density—three times that of air—the material has tremendous insulating capability. NASA scientists have found aerogel critical for several space missions. Part of the Mars Pathfinder mission that landed on the Red Planet in July included treks of the tiny Sojourner rover. To guard against the rover freezing in the chill of a Martian night, aerogel kept Sojourner on the run.
Aerogel is also set to fly on the Stardust mission, being readied for launch in Stardust is built to haul aerogel that will snag dust samples from a comet and return the specimens to Earth. Its advantages are more than clear.
If implemented successfully, this technology would be able to provide cheaper alternative fuels to combat the high cost and limited supply of oil. Your email address will not be published. Home Articles About Us Contact. Scientists and engineers recently realized the possibilities of working with such an unusual substance, focusing on its strength-to-weight ratio and its thermal resistivity.
With hundreds of proposed applications, this substance may be found in everything from building insulation to surfboards to space suits worn by future astronauts on Mars. As with most new technologies, however, the main obstacle to widespread use of aerogel is its relatively high cost. This frozen smoke, technically known as aerogel, is an extraordinary material that may find a way into your home sometime in the near future.
As engineers discover ways to make this substance more affordable, the number of practical applications is increasing at an amazing pace. From home insulation and blankets to tennis rackets, ski jackets, and refrigerators, aerogel may revolutionize many facets of everyday life. Kistler won, and aerogel was the result.
Normally when a gel dries, it shrinks to a fraction of its original size because the surface tension of the liquid leaving the gel collapses its polymer structure. Working with the knowledge that a liquid at sufficiently high temperature will become a gas, Kistler developed the process of supercritical drying, or raising the temperature and pressure on the gel so that it reaches the point where the liquid in the gel is no longer distinguishable as liquid or gas.
Once in this supercritical state, the molecules of the liquid can be removed and the remainder slowly cooled to form aerogel [4].
The scientists detailed their findings online May 9 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Politics Covid U. News World Opinion Business. Share this —. Follow NBC News.
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