Ultralight "Dream Material" Promises to Revolutionize Countless Industries

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Aerogel Technologies, LLC

Nov 22, 2024, 07:03 ET


Newly patented aerogel material that is simultaneously ultralight, waterproof, fireproof, and durable represents materials science game-changer

BOSTON, Nov. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Boston-based Aerogel Technologies, LLC has been granted a patent for a revolutionary new type of ultralight aerogel material that, for the first time, is simultaneously waterproof, fireproof, and mechanically durable, all without relying on environmentally harmful components.

Made of up to 99+% air by volume, aerogels are the world's lightest solids—effectively open-celled foams with nanosized air pockets so small that heat cannot pass through them via convection. This makes aerogels not only the world's lowest-density materials but also the world's best thermal and acoustic insulators.

Most forms of aerogel to date have been based on silica, the same substance that makes up window glass. Along with high R-value, silica aerogels exhibit a wide range of useful materials properties, including hydrophobicity and nonflammability. But like glass, silica aerogel-based materials are incredibly brittle, and products based on them are thus extremely dusty. Although industrial insulation products such as fiberglass blankets infused with silica aerogel have seen limited traction in markets such as energy infrastructure and construction, it is estimated that over $500 billion in market opportunities for aerogels remain unaddressed because of the impracticality of existing silica-based products. To address this, non-dusty aerogels based on organic polymers have been recently developed, however have been much more susceptible to moisture and fire than their inorganic counterparts.

Now, aerogel manufacturer Aerogel Technologies has developed a new type of aerogel based on a novel waterproof nonflammable polymer that is 10x lighter than plastics yet durable and machinable while being 2x more insulating than fiberglass and stable to over 600°F. Sold under the trade name Airloy® H116, the new aerogel is made of a specially engineered polyimide polymer and can be produced as shaped 3D forms, coherent thin films, or conformal coatings, and can be composited with other materials such as foams, textiles, and felts to produce a multitude of useful market-ready products. The company states that the new "dream material" is 100x better at resisting moisture than previous polyimide aerogels, absorbing just 9% its weight in water after being submerged for 24 h, compared to the over 900% water uptake typically seen with polyimides. And, unlike many other waterproof polymers, Airloy H116 is free of fluorine, chlorine, and other halogens—a game-changer amidst growing concerns surrounding the environmental impacts of fluorinated substances such as PFCs, PFAS, and CFCs.

The newly issued patent for the material, US patent number 12,146,031, also describes the world's first launderable aerogel, which reportedly can be washed in a commercial washing machine with detergent and dried in a clothes dryer without its nanoporous structure collapsing or materials properties degrading.

"This stuff is truly amazing," said Aerogel Technologies CEO Dr. Stephen Steiner. "This new material finally fulfills so many of the promises of aerogel where previous materials fell short." Steiner sees huge potential for the new aerogel in applications including thermal barriers for electric vehicle battery packs, urban air taxis, airline interior components, bulletproof vests, 5G/6G communications, and footwear.

The new material is already attracting some pretty big names. NASA Glenn Research Center has reportedly developed a new advanced acoustic insulation for its Artemis moon rocket using the new formulation, while Boeing, Blue Origin, and the US Department of Defense are already developing products around it. To address demand, Aerogel Technologies is producing the material using the world's first roll-to-roll manufacturing process for polymer aerogels based on the company's proprietary ambient-pressure drying technology. The company says samples of products based on Airloy H116 including flexible sheets, compliant foams, and machinable panels are now commercially available through its ecommerce site BuyAerogel.com, with larger volumes available on a business-to-business basis as well.

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About Aerogel Technologies, LLC

Aerogel Technologies is a leading manufacturer of advanced lightweight energy-efficiency materials called aerogels. Backed by over 45 international patents and patents pending, the company is NASA's exclusive commercial partner for polymer aerogels and services thousands of industrial, academic, and government organizations worldwide.

Media Contact

Stephen Steiner, Aerogel Technologies, LLC, 1 6178000414, [email protected], www.aerogeltechnologies.com

SOURCE Aerogel Technologies, LLC