Aerogel is a new type of nano-scale porous solid material. The volume of all pores accounts for the vast majority of the entire aerogel volume, and can even reach 99%. It has special microstructure characteristics such as high specific surface area, high porosity, nano-scale pores, and low density. It has stable chemical properties, low thermal conductivity, high temperature resistance, high elasticity, strong adsorption, good waterproof effect, wide operating temperature range, and long life.


"Aerogel can be understood as a nano version of a porous sponge." Wang Beier, a technical expert in the field of aerogel, said that its pore size is between 20 nanometers and 50 nanometers. The size of air molecules is about 70 nanometers, which is larger than the diameter of the aerogel pores. Therefore, the air flow efficiency on the aerogel is extremely low. In addition, the specific heat capacity of the aerogel itself is very high, and the heat radiation transfer can be minimized, so it has good thermal insulation performance.


Aerogel is mainly divided into three categories: inorganic aerogel, organic aerogel, and organic-inorganic hybrid aerogel. Among them, inorganic aerogels are mainly inorganic, including single-substance aerogels, oxide aerogels, and sulfide aerogels. Organic aerogels are mainly organic, including phenolic aerogels, cellulose aerogels, polyimide aerogels, chitosan aerogels, and chitosan-cellulose aerogels. Organic-inorganic hybrid aerogels can utilize the respective advantages of organic and inorganic substances to achieve special functionalization of aerogels.


In 2021, Science magazine listed aerogels as one of the top ten popular science and technologies, and called it a "multifunctional new material that can change the world." Wang Beier said that aerogel is the only material among the top ten new materials selected by Science magazine that has been widely used in actual commercial scenarios.


The preparation process of aerogel is mainly divided into two steps, namely, preparing gel through the sol-gel process, and then using a certain drying method to replace the liquid substance in the gel with gas to obtain aerogel.


Data show that in the cost structure of the aerogel industry, manufacturing costs account for about 45%. Zheng Song, assistant to the chairman of Suzhou Jinfu Technology Co., Ltd., said that reducing the cost of aerogel is a direction the industry is working towards. One of the main paths at present is the implementation of automated production lines, and cost reduction will open up more application scenarios.