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Aerogel, nicknamed “frozen smoke” is the world's lightest known solid, it weighs only three times that of air. When handled, Aerogel feels like a very light, hard foam. Being chemically similar to glass, it also happens to shatter like glass, yet is incredibly strong structurally, and can support thousands of times its own weight. It is made by extracting water from a silica gel, then replacing it with gas such as carbon dioxide. It can withstand a direct blast of 1kg of dynamite and protect against heat from a blowtorch at more than 1,300C. The result is a substance that is capable of insulating against extreme temperatures and of absorbing pollutants such as crude oil. NASA are already using it to insulate space suits, new versions have been designed to mop up lead and mercury from water and to absorb oil spills.

Etiquetas: Arquitectura