Thin, High-tech Aerogel Blankets to Insulate Our Homes?

When the liquid component of a gel is replaced with gas, an aerogel results. Two remarkable properties define an aerogel: its extremely low weight and its fantastic effectiveness as a thermal insulator. Aerogels are a high-tech product and are costly to manufacture. They regularly feature in space missions, for e.g. the Mars Rover spacecraft was insulated with aerogel!

Although they are commonly manufactured for high-end industrial applications, aerogels now seem to be reaching out to a new niche in the market, that of insulation of regular houses and buildings.

Aerogels…

As we mentioned above are made by removing the liquid from gels. More than 90% of the resulting product is therefore air. The porous structure of this material makes it very difficult for heat to pass through and as such they are quite capable as thermal insulators.

Aspen Aerogels…

Is a company that provides energy conservation insulation solutions to various industries. However recently there has been a shift in their business strategies and now they have started selling their aerogel blankets to existing buildings in order to increase their energy efficiency.

A number of installations in the U.K. and U.S. including a housing project in Rhode Island have already been carried out.

These thin aerogel blankets…

Can be used to replace fiberglass, foam and cellulose that have traditionally been used to insulate our houses and buildings.

Advantages of aerogel over traditional material?

1. Two to four times more insulating value per inch compared to fiberglass or foam.
2. Easy to work with
3. Allows water vapor to pass through
4. Fire resistant

However there’s one catch…

The aerogel blankets are still quite expensive compared to traditional material and at this point one can only guess as to when the cost will come down to that of other available alternatives…

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News via: CNet