| Date | 7th, Jan 2022 |
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Aerogels are truly wonder materials: they are light as air, can be used to treat water, to manufacture catalysts, build future energy storage devices, can help bones heal quicker, and even have potential prospects to be used to terraform the surface of Mars to make it habitable.
A slice of aerogel in human hand. Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Industry already uses aerogels to replace some of traditional materials. But is it possible to make this substance at a small scale? This is actually possible, but challenging even for most of those who are skilled in chemistry. Here is how to make an aerogel – material that consists of less than 1% silica, and over 99% air:
