June
19, 1996: Aerogel is the lightest solid known to
mankind, with only three times the density of air. A block the size of a
human weighs less than a pound. Because of its amazing insulating properties,
an inch-thick slab can safely shield the human hand from the heat of a blowtorch.
A sugar-cubed size portion of the material has the internal surface area
of a basketball court. As the only known transparent insulator, Aerogel
is a supercritically dried gel sometimes referred to as "frozen smoke".
On April 3, 1996, the first space-produced samples
of aerogels were produced by NASA on a flight of a starfire rocket. The
production of such materials in space is interesting because of the strong
influence of gravity on how a gel is formed. Comparison of gels manufactured
in space and on the ground have shown large differences, and the production
of gels in space can provide a higher-quality product with a more uniform
structure.
Chemical Engineering Progress (June 1995, p 14) described "the
holy grail of aerogel applications has been developing invisible insulation
for use between window panes." The production of insulating and transparent
windows through aerogel manufacturing in space can develop into a substantial
market for residential and commercial applications. The excellent thermal
properties and transparent nature of silica aerogel make it an obvious choice
for super-insulating windows, skylights, solar collector covers, and specialty
windows.
Aerogel tutorial
Contact Dr. David Noever
Code ES71
NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center
Huntsville AL 35812
for more information about aerogels.
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Curator: Bryan Walls
NASA Official: John M. Horack