malconium
Member
I just recently ran across a very interesting type of insulation that was originally developed as part of the space program. Take a look at the following website and see what you think:
I would be very interested to know if anyone has direct experience with this product.
kerr_in_ca
Member
Last I heard aerogel cost in the hundreds for a couple of square inches. I'd be shocked if they actually made it affordable for small-scale residential applications.
Wayneburg
Member
Cheap aerogel.
http://www.newser.com/story/20361/scientist-makes-wonder-material-from-rice-husks.html
Scientist Makes Wonder Material from Rice Husks
Posted Feb 29, 08 5:10 PM CST
(Newser) – Rice husks might be the key to lowering electricity use, bomb-proofing buildings and making products—from airplanes to tennis rackets—lighter. A Malaysian scientist says she’s found a cheap way to create aerogel, the world’s lightest solid, from discarded rice husks. The material combines incredible insulating power and strength with near weightlessness, reports AP, but has so far been prohibitively expensive to make.
Aerogel is 37 times more effective as an insulator than fiberglass, so coating buildings with it would slash heating and air-conditioning needs. It also absorbs air pollutants and works well for bomb- and sound-proofing. Peers called the scientist’s work “an exciting breakthrough” and a “miracle solution” to creating cheap aerogel. The process won’t be ready for commercial use for a few years.
nedormsby
Member
I was curious about the Aspen Aerogel. Here is what I found out. I called the distributor it lists for $3.43 sq ft, with a minimum order of $250. This material is sold in rolls that are approximately 5’ wide by 125’ long and 10mm thick. The thermal performance is approximately R4 which gives the material an R10/inch thick. The will sell partial rolls, but they have a cut charge of $100. It does have a high R value per inch and is very thin, but unless you have a need for very thin insulation you may be better off with blown foam. The retailer contact is:
Joe Posda
Product Manager - Aerogel
Pacor Inc
(609) 744-4272 (C)
Wayneburg
Member
Found a treehugger.com article about cheaper aerogel.
Wayneburg
Member
GreenTech reported that some aerogel companies are offering thin blankets that serve as replacements for traditional fiberglass, foam or cellulose insulation. It’s still more expensive upfront but the costs have fallen to the point that it can make sense in certain cases, particularly masonry or curved walls. The video posted above shows aerogel insulation over bent tubing.
Aerogels are made by removing the liquid from gels, resulting in a material that is more than 90 percent air. The porous structure of the nanomaterial makes it difficult for heat to pass through. As a result, aerogels make very good and light-weight insulators.
Aspen Aerogels says that its aerogel blankets have two to four times the insulating value per inch compared to fiberglass or foam. It’s also relatively easy to work with, allows water vapor to pass through and is fire resistant.
Material company Cabot has also developed its Nanogel insulator for buildings. Another company, ThermaBlok, has had its insulation used in demonstration houses built during last year’s Solar Decathlon home competition.
Contractors have started using the material on superinsulated homes that are sealed from the outside, both over masonry and under shingles. On wood frame homes, thin strips of aerogel can be applied to studs to prevent what’s called thermal bridging, where heat escapes through the walls’ framing.
moontreeranch
Member
http://tinyhouseblog.com/construction-articles/arogel-insulation-in-a-tiny-house/
nice thread here
I’ve seen some aerogel up close..it is just as they say…solid smoke. I remember reading that it was used by NASA for collecting space dust…the collector was made from aerogel and the dust would impact and be “collected” by the solid structure of the gel….a bit like how Ballistic gel would catch a bullet but still let you see what the bullet looks like.
This stuff is pretty fragile, a quote here from wikpedia..
“Pressing softly on an aerogel typically does not leave a mark; pressing more firmly will leave a permanent depression. Pressing firmly enough will cause a catastrophic breakdown in the sparse structure, causing it to shatter like glass—a property known as friability.”
catastrophic breakdown, is not a condition I would like to see in a homes insulation, anyone who has spent any time on a construction site would agree…that having something this delicate around it not ideal.
Also from Wikpedia..This stuff would need to be treated to remove its hydrophilic qualities, one this you dont want is you insulation acting like a giant sponge and sucking up moisture.
“Aerogels by themselves are hydrophilic, but chemical treatment can make them hydrophobic. If they absorb moisture they usually suffer a structural change, such as contraction, and deteriorate, but degradation can be prevented by making them hydrophobic”
The Thermoblock product listed above seems to be targeted for isolation of the thermal bridging found between a stud and the interior sheathing…not used for general insulation in the wall cavities. Not sure if they plan to develop a product for that…it is indeed a great insulator…just get past its delicate nature, hydrophillic state, and cost and your there!
One very promising area would be to include it between panes of glass for supper insulated windows, here it would be protected but still perfom well.
here is a cool link about the research on making aerogel clearer.
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