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Scientists hail ‘frozen smoke’ as material that will change world.
by Stefanie at 3:15 pm EDT, Aug 20, 2007 |
Aerogel is nicknamed “frozen smoke” and is made by extracting water from a silica gel, then replacing it with gas such as carbon dioxide. The result is a substance that is capable of insulating against extreme temperatures and of absorbing pollutants such as crude oil. It was invented by an American chemist for a bet in 1931, but early versions were so brittle and costly that it was largely consigned to laboratories. It was not until a decade ago that NASA started taking an interest in the substance and putting it to a more practical use.
I read something about this a few years ago, but it seems to be making headlines again. |
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RE: Scientists hail ‘frozen smoke’ as material that will change world.
by Lost at 6:54 pm EDT, Aug 21, 2007 |
Stefanie wrote: Aerogel is nicknamed “frozen smoke” and is made by extracting water from a silica gel, then replacing it with gas such as carbon dioxide. The result is a substance that is capable of insulating against extreme temperatures and of absorbing pollutants such as crude oil. It was invented by an American chemist for a bet in 1931, but early versions were so brittle and costly that it was largely consigned to laboratories. It was not until a decade ago that NASA started taking an interest in the substance and putting it to a more practical use.
I read something about this a few years ago, but it seems to be making headlines again.
You can buy chunks of it somewhere online. |
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