Martin LaMonica from CNET's Green Tech Blog made a post today about aerogels.
"Aerogels are made by removing the liquid from gels, resulting in a material that is more than 90 percent air. The porous structure of that nanomaterial makes it difficult for heat to pass through. As a result, aerogels make very good and light-weight insulators."
Good enough to have been used to keep the Mars Rover warm. And, now, apparently, inexpensive enough to be quite useful on this planet too.
The thin blankets of aerogel insulation are still a bit pricey for most home use, but the return on investment from energy savings is getting bigger, so they might be products worth watching.
"Aerogels are made by removing the liquid from gels, resulting in a material that is more than 90 percent air. The porous structure of that nanomaterial makes it difficult for heat to pass through. As a result, aerogels make very good and light-weight insulators."
Good enough to have been used to keep the Mars Rover warm. And, now, apparently, inexpensive enough to be quite useful on this planet too.
The thin blankets of aerogel insulation are still a bit pricey for most home use, but the return on investment from energy savings is getting bigger, so they might be products worth watching.
