Science & TechFact

A solid that is more than 99 percent air.

Aerogel is made by removing the liquid from a gel without letting its skeleton collapse. What remains is a silica network with nanometre-sized pores that is over 99 % air. It is among the lightest solids known and an excellent insulator. NASA used it on the Stardust mission to catch comet dust in flight.

Useful: Aerogel blankets now insulate pipelines and mountaineering jackets, doing the job of thick foam in a few millimetres.

Source: en.wikipedia.org

MaterialienNasa

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