Ultralight Aerogel

Carbon Nanotube Aerogel is the lightest material known to man

Aerogel is a manufactured material with the lowest bulk density of any known porous solid. It is derived from a gel in which the liquid component of the gel has been replaced with a gas. The result is an extremely low-density solid, with a notable effectiveness as a thermal insulator.

Researchers at the University of Florida have created a new aerogel using carbon nanotubes that is thought to be the world's lightest material.

The new carbon nanotube aerogel has a density of four milligrams per cubic centimeter and has a number of important applications. It can detect pollutants and toxins, for example, or can be integrated into electronics to make them lighter and more insulated.

To create the new, lighter "Ultralight Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube Aerogel", the researchers started with a "wet gel" comprised of a "well-dispersed pristine MWCNT" and used that to create a honeycomb structure that was only 100 nanometers thick.