Understanding Aerogel

Aerogel is a synthetic material known for its extremely low density and excellent insulating properties. It’s composed of a gel in which the liquid component is replaced with gas, resulting in a solid, porous structure. This unique composition gives aerogel its characteristic lightness and appearance, often referred to as “frozen smoke” or “solid air.”

Aerogel is made through a process called supercritical drying, where the liquid in a gel is carefully replaced with a gas. This process prevents the collapse of the delicate structure of the gel, allowing it to retain its porous nature. Common materials used to make aerogels include silica, carbon, and metal oxides.

Aerogel is known for several remarkable properties, including:

• Low Density: It’s one of the lightest solid materials in existence.
• High Porosity: Aerogel is made up of up to 99.8% air, giving it a unique structure.
• Excellent Insulation: It has a very low thermal conductivity, making it a superb insulator.
• Transparency: Some types of aerogel, particularly silica-based ones, are nearly transparent.
• High Surface Area: The porous structure provides a large surface area, useful in applications like catalysis.

Aerogel’s unique properties make it suitable for a wide range of applications, including:

• Thermal Insulation: Used in building insulation, spacecraft, and clothing to provide excellent thermal protection.
• Oil Spill Cleanup: Its high porosity and hydrophobic nature allow it to absorb large amounts of oil.
• Catalysts and Filters: The high surface area of aerogels makes them ideal for use in chemical reactions and filtration systems.
• Lightweight Structural Components: In aerospace and other industries, aerogel is used where lightweight and strength are critical.

While aerogel has many advantages, it also has some limitations:

• Brittleness: Aerogel can be fragile and prone to cracking or breaking under mechanical stress. Solarcore’s Sc_Foam is a durable and flexible aerogel foam composite which gives it great advantages to other aerogel products.
• Hydrophobicity Variability: Not all aerogels are naturally hydrophobic, meaning some can absorb water and lose insulating properties if not properly treated. Solarcore is a hydrophobic aerogel foam.

Researchers are continuously working on improving aerogel properties, such as enhancing its strength, making it more flexible, and reducing production costs. Innovations include developing polymer-reinforced aerogels and exploring new materials for aerogel production, which could expand its applications and make it more accessible. Solarcore is utilizing both silica and polymer aerogels to develop durable and innovative aerogel-based insulation solutions.

Sc_Foam is a closed cell foam Nitrile Butadiene Rubber (NBR) Foam infused with silica aerogel particles. This creates the most thermally efficient closed cell foam in the marketplace. The pores are so small that heat is contained, thus allowing a superior insulating/efficient process even when compressed.