Aerogel - lightest, most expensive material in the world

July 19, 2007 by Kiltak |

Composed of 99% of air, Aerogel, aka “Blue Smoke”, is an absolutely amazing material that was originally developed by Steven Kistler back in 1931.

Aerogel is a low-density solid-state material derived from gel in which the liquid component of the gel has been replaced with gas. The result is an extremely low density solid with several remarkable properties, most notably its effectiveness as an insulator. It is nicknamed frozen smoke, solid smoke or blue smoke due to its semi-transparent nature and the way light scatters in the material; however, it feels like expanded polystyrene (Styrofoam) to the touch. (Source: Wikipedia)

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9 Comments »

Comment by john
2007-07-19 06:19:16

isn’t that a leftover from the Beyond 2000 days? Did they do a house cleaning??

If I recall correctly, it withstands fire very well.

 
Comment by Ed Kohler
2007-07-19 07:55:35

Looks like it’s used for insulation in some cases.

 
Comment by ms danielle
2007-07-19 17:10:28

i can’t believe i just watched that whole video….

 
Comment by Jamie
2007-07-20 13:41:44

The video was pretty boring, but the Wikipedia article was fascinating. Too bad the stuff is so expensive to make.

 
Comment by Sineklik
2007-08-18 01:17:26

>>Dunlop tennis has recently incorporated Aerogel into the mold of its new series of racquets

 
Comment by Luis
2008-10-29 19:04:43

That’s not the most expensive material…

Comment by Kiltak
2008-10-29 19:07:30

When it comes to cost per weight, yes it is.

 
 
Comment by RoryMyster
2008-11-04 15:46:06

well of course for weight, as it weighs so little per gram

 
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