Aerogel: The Ultimate in Insulation Now Becoming Affordable.
I saw this article today. Using Aerogel as hammock insulation has been discussed before, but it's always been very cost prohibitive. Things may be about to change. Maybe one day soon we will have a material that will insulate better than anything out there, for a fraction of the weight and bulk.
Quote:
Dr. Peter Tsou of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory once said, "you could take a two- or three-bedroom house, insulate it with aerogel, and you could heat the house with a candle. But eventually the house would become too hot." So why haven't we all been spraying our buildings with the stuff? Unfortunately, for the past 75 years aerogel has been way too expensive, but that's all about to change.
Aerogel is made by removing liquid from gels, resulting in a material that's over 90 percent air and four times more efficient than fiberglass or foam. Aerogel used to be so expensive only NASA's federal budget could handle the cost, but a few companies have been working on a way to produce the stuff without breaking the budget, including Aspen Aerogels, which has developed a version that's relatively easy to work with (it's sold as rolled up sheets). While their insulator is still more expensive than traditional insulators, the cost is validated when you realize that aerogel allows water vapor to pass through and is fire resistant.
A few other companies are making strides in the field as well, including Cabot and ThermaBlok. Hopefully with the added competition, prices will go down even more. Contractors are already using the new aerogels to insulate homes that are sealed from the outside, both over masonry and under shingles, Ceramics.org reports. "On wood frame homes, thin strips of aerogel can be applied to studs to prevent what’s called thermal bridging, where heat escapes through the walls’ framing."
Check out the rad video below, which shows just how powerful aerogel is as it protects from both heat and cold.
02-09-2010, 16:07
Hawk-eye
Never really heard much about this stuff ... but if you could heat a house with a candle ... seems like you'd really have some serious problems related to sealing up a house too tight. That large link at the bottom of your post ... YOUTUBE link? It's block to me over here ... have to wait till I get home to see what it is. Going to have to read up on this ... very interesting. Thanks for posting it.
02-09-2010, 16:20
Pitch
Wow they made flexible aerogel?? That is slick... I was just gonna comment "Yea but too bad aerogel is a solid"...
Be careful breathing in silicon based fibers. a-la silicosis.
02-09-2010, 16:21
stickboy
group buy:)
02-09-2010, 16:30
Cannibal
OK, who wrote this article? A teenager from the 80s?
Quote:
Check out the rad video below
02-09-2010, 16:31
headchange4u
I contacted the company to get more info and possibly a sample.
02-09-2010, 16:38
Hawk-eye
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cannibal
OK, who wrote this article? A teenager from the 80s?
HA ... me thinks you might be on to something there Cannibal!
02-09-2010, 16:55
Oh-No
I have some samples from several years ago.
It's sort of a fiberous mat infused/impregnated with
aerogel. If you handle it, fine aerogel dust gets over
everything and it is very drying and irritating.
It is heavy, expensive, and has to be encapsulated in
a cover (or something) to keep the aerogel dust from escaping.
Other than making a sit pad or boot insert, i.e. a small item,
I wouldn't fool with it. YMMV
02-09-2010, 17:05
Hawk-eye
WOW that took the shine off of that! Doesn't sound very good for anything I'd want to try it on.
02-09-2010, 17:27
poker88
Quote:
Originally Posted by Oh-No
I have some samples from several years ago.
It's sort of a fiberous mat infused/impregnated with
aerogel. If you handle it, fine aerogel dust gets over
everything and it is very drying and irritating.
It is heavy, expensive, and has to be encapsulated in
a cover (or something) to keep the aerogel dust from escaping.
Other than making a sit pad or boot insert, i.e. a small item,
I wouldn't fool with it. YMMV
Since they are saying that they are making apparel out of it I'm going to guess that a current sample would be different from the samples you go a few years ago. Hopefully headchange4u can get a new sample and confirm that.