#science #shorts #aerogel
Meet the world's lightest solid material, which can cost up to $11,000 per kilogram. This material is made up of 99% air. Its high porosity leads to excellent insulation properties and low thermal conductivity, making it an ideal material for thermal insulation in NASA's spacecraft. Aerogels can withstand temperatures ranging from -200 to +1200 degrees Celsius. When placed on a scale, the weight of a cubic centimeter of the lightest aerogel is only 0.001 grams. Silica aerogels can have a blue color, which results from a phenomenon known as Rayleigh scattering—the same physical principle that explains why the sky is blue. These high-performance insulation materials can be used in environmental cleaning filters, chemical and biological sensors, and drug delivery systems.
