100 Nano-Stories: How Many Aerogels Are There? đ”
Episode #26: Types Of Aerogel & Their Applications! (Part 1)
Preface! â âš
Itâs your favorite Material Science & Nanotechnology Enthusiast with another article! Todayâs topic is how many types of aerogels are currently created for future worldwide applications!
Carlos, but why so many âflavorsâ of aerogel? Isnât one type of aerogel good enough?
Thatâs what Iâm about to explain, reader! The reason why we made so many is that certain aerogels carry certain thermal, mechanical, and industrial properties for a certain task, but not for a different task.
This is why we need to create a variety of aerogels!
But enough of me talking about that, letâs talk about the 6 varieties of aerogels!
Wait, there are 6!?
Silica Aerogel! â đ”
Itâs everyoneâs favorite aerogel, Classic Silica Aerogel!
Silica Aerogel is the most researched, produced, and seen by the rest of society. When most people refer to the word âAerogelâ, they mean the classic silica aerogel!
In terms of their applications, they have already made an impact in space technologies by insulating the systems of The Mars Curiosity Rover and collecting comet dust! Future applications of Classic Silica Aerogel are Window Insulation, Wall Insulation, large removal of oil spills, and be a staple in future Mars Homes!
Polymer/Organic Aerogels! â âȘ
This is silica aerogelâs older brother on steroids! Silica Aerogel is very brittle when pin-point loads of pressure are applied. But with polymer/organic aerogels, you can whack the polymer aerogel with a hammer, and the aerogel will remain intact!
Currently, some applications of the polymer aerogels are for thermal insulation as blankets and mechanical engineering in certain buildings! Future applications of polymer aerogel are clothing, mechanical & aerospace engineering, & healthcare equipment!
Metal Aerogels! â đ©
Metal Aerogels were recently developed over the past 5 years! However, this lightweight material is making its mark because of its electrical conductivity and replacing certain metals like Platinum & Palladium for Iron & Nickel!
While there arenât applications for Metal Aerogels today, there are some promising applications for such as batteries, fuel cells, supercapacitors, etc.
This can really change the game for energy storage, and maybe help out everyoneâs favorite meme lord! đ
Closing Thoughts! â đ
Wait, Carlos! I thought we were going to finish the rest of the aerogels in this article!
I am deciding to split it up into 2 articles. This article is for aerogels that are already used today or will immediately be implemented soon!
The other article will have the aerogels that are still undergoing research and/or yet to find a place for real-world applications! â
But until tomorrow, Iâll let you ponder with these 3 varieties of aerogels because sooner or later, youâll eventually be wearing them soon!
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