Insulation may not be sexy, but it is important. Over the past years we’ve seen leaps and bounds towards creating cheaper, thinner, more breathable materials with higher R-values. There still isn’t “one” insulation out there that has all the best characteristics, but Aerogel is one of the top contenders. This space-age material has the lowest bulk density of any known porous solid as well as some incredible insulating qualities, and recently two companies rolled out Aerogel sheets that make installations a breeze.
You may think Aerogel was invented by NASA for use in their spacecrafts, but it was actually invented in 1931 by Samuel Stephens Kistler after a bet with his friend. It is made up of a gel that has had its liquid component replaced by air — in fact the material is 99% air. It’s quite thin, breathable, fireproof, doesn’t absorb water, and is very strong considering it doesn’t weigh much. What makes it such a great insulator is its low thermal conductivity (14 mW/m-K) and results in an R-value of 10.3 per inch, which is twice as much as rigid foam board. In fact you can light a blow torch on one side and it won’t burn a hole through it or even get hot enough to light a match sitting on the other side.
Unfortunately the material is still fairly expensive and out of the price range for the average homeowner. NASA has used it as insulation for a number of projects including the Mars Rover and space suites. Two companies currently have a commercial product available – Aspen Aerogel and Thermoblok. Aspen Aerogel offers a roll of the material in 0.2 or 0.4 in thicknesses and 57 inches wide. Thermoblok has 1-1/2″ wide strips, which are used to cover framing studs and help prevent thermal bridging and costs about $1.99/ft.
Aerogel a great material for renovations where size matters, and would make great insulation for shipping containers. Due to it’s incredible R-value and thin form factor it’s one of the best insulative materials out there, and we hope to see prices come down so that it is more affordable for the general public.
Via Jetson Green
8 Responses to “Space-age Aerogel Insulation Now Cheaper and Available in Sheets”
get the free Inhabitat newsletter
more popular stories >
more popular stories >
more popular stories >
this is awesome. i’m ordering some for fun….
I’d love to see this stuff come down in price so that it could be used to insulate homes. Think of the cost savings for heating and cooling.
Hmmm most importantly will it be cheaper than conventional insulation?
Has it been used in clothing, cars, or camping equipment?
Does anyone know if there are any European firms that offer these products?
[...] close when the home detects hot or incremental weather, but still let natural light in through the aerogel translucent wall panels. The solar array on the roof adjusts its pitch to maximize its solar [...]
So….What IS the going price for this insulation per board ft? I often use open cell foam in my remodels at a rate of about $1 bd ft.
I am often up against trying to get the best R value in limited space in my remodels. Foam gives me about R-7 /inch. Even if the areogel cost more per R there are cases where it can save money.
i like know more about aerogel. please if you can send me more information about this kind of silica type. can i invest on one of your project?