Breakthrough Waterproof, Nonflammable, Dust-Free Aerogel Promises to Disrupt EVs, Bulletproof Vests, and More
By Aerogel Technologies In Press ReleasesNewly patented “dream material” is poised to disrupt countless industries
BOSTON, MA—The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has awarded Boston-based Aerogel Technologies, LLC a patent for a revolutionary new type of aerogel that, for the first time, is simultaneously waterproof, fireproof, mechanically durable, dust-free, and free of halogens.
Made of up to 99+% air by volume, aerogels are the world’s lightest solids—essentially nanoporous foams with air pockets so small that heat cannot pass through them by convection. This makes aerogels not only the world’s lowest-density materials but also the world’s best thermal and acoustic insulators.
Most forms of aerogel to date have been based on silica, the same substance that makes up glass. In addition to low thermal conductivity, silica aerogels exhibit numerous useful materials properties, including hydrophobicity and nonflammability. But like glass, silica aerogel-based materials are incredibly brittle, and products based on them are likewise extremely dusty. Despite this drawback, industrial insulation products such as fiberglass blankets infused with silica aerogel have proven extremely valuable in a wide variety of markets ranging from energy infrastructure to daylighting. Over the past fifteen years, aerogels based on organic polymers have become commercially available as well, however were more susceptible to moisture and fire than their inorganic counterparts.
Now, aerogel manufacturer Aerogel Technologies has developed a new type of aerogel based on a novel waterproof nonflammable polymer with the durability of plastic. The new aerogel, sold under the trade name Airloy® H116, is made of a specially engineered polyimide and can be produced as shaped 3D forms, coherent thin films, or conformal coatings, and can be composited with other materials such as foams, textiles, and felts to produce a multitude of useful market-ready products. The company states that the new material is 100x better at resisting moisture than previous polyimide aerogels, absorbing less than just 9% its weight in water after being submerged for 24 h compared to the over 900% water uptake typically seen with polyimides. And, unlike many other waterproof polymers, Airloy H116 is free of fluorine, chlorine, and other halogens—a game-changer amidst growing concerns surrounding the environmental impacts of fluorinated substances such as PFCs, PFAS, and CFCs.
The newly issued patent, US patent number 12,146,031, also covers the world’s first launderable aerogel, which reportedly can be washed in a commercial washing machine with detergent and dried in a clothes dryer without its nanoporous structure collapsing or materials properties degrading.
“This stuff is truly amazing,” said Aerogel Technologies CEO Dr. Stephen Steiner. “This new material finally fulfills so many of the promises of aerogel where previous materials fell short.” Steiner sees huge potential for the new aerogel in applications including electric vehicle battery packs, urban air mobility, airline interior components, bulletproof vests, and apparel.
The company says samples of products based on Airloy H116 including flexible sheets, compliant foams, and machinable panels are now commercially available through its ecommerce site BuyAerogel.com. The company says larger volumes are also available on a B2B basis as well.
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