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Aerogel has remained in domain of government funded and commercial high-tech projects for years due to it's high cost. A new technique using the silica found in disposed rice husks after harvest could be the answer to making this material widely available.

Nicknamed "frozen smoke" because of its cloudy appearance, aerogel is made from silica, the basic ingredient in sand, and is 99 percent air by volume. The result is a nearly weightless and translucent material with a white powder that seems to float inside.

What makes aerogel so attractive is the combination of light weight with incredible strength and insulating properties...

...Aerogel can withstand mechanical pressure 2,000 times its own weight, making it suitable for bombproof panels. It makes good soundproofing material. Aerogel also can absorb oil spills and pollutants in the air -- NASA fitted a space probe in 1999 with a mitt packed with the substance to catch the dust from a comet's tail.

While the process is still a couple of years away from being ready to sell this new material commercially, the Malaysian government is funding a US$62.5 million project at Halimaton's university to speed things along. Good news for ID students who can now legitimately spec this material in their concepts.

View Article: International Herald Tribune

via Treehugger via PSFK