References

Table of Properties

Properties

Silica Aerogel¹

Silica Glass²

Density

0.1 (0.3 - 0.05) g/cm³

2.3 g/cm³

Dielectric Constant

1.008 -2.27 (3- 40 Ghz)²

4.0 – 6.75 (3- 40 GHz)

Surface Ares, BET

800 m²/g

0.1 m²/g

Percent Solids

0.13 - 15%

n.a.

Mean Pore Diameter

~20 nm

n.a.

Primary Particle Diameter

2 - 5 nm

n.a.

Thermal Tolerance

to 500°C

1830° C

Compressive Modulus

0.3 Mpa

690-1380 Mpa ³

Coefficient of Thermal Expansion

2 ppm/°C @ 20 - 80°C

10 ppm/°C @ 20 - 80°C

Electrical Resistivity

10¹⁸ ohm-cm ²

10¹⁵ ohm-cm

Thermal Conductivity in Air

0.016 W/mK

1.2

Thermal Conductivity in Vacuum

0.004 W/mK

n.a.

Color

Translucent (w/ blue haze)

Translucent
¹(Silica Aerogels, 2007) ²(Aerogel-Mystifying, 2003) ³(Silica-Silicon Dioxide)

Mixed with silicon dioxide and a solvent, aerogel is 99.8% air (Aerogel- Mystifying, 2007)
Aerogel is 1,000 times less dense than glass (Aerogel- Mystifying, 2007)
Despite weighing only 3 milligrams per cubic centimeter, aerogel can support up to 4,000 times its own weight (Aerogel- Mystifying, 2007)
Particles traveling six times faster than a rifle bullet can be stopped by a block of aerogel (Aerogel-Mystifying, 2007)
Some types of aerogel provide 39 times more insulation than fiberglass (Aerogel- Mystifying, 2007)
An aerogel blanket from Aspen Aerogels is $45 per square foot (What's an Aerogel, 2007)

Links

Aspen Aerogels

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

Marketech Products

NASA

Iowa State University
Materials Science and Engineering
Mat E 321 Introduction to Ceramic Science