Sciencemadness Discussion Board

AEROGEL

itchyfruit - 14-7-2009 at 16:07

I've just seen some of this stuff(AEROGEL)advertised on ebay, it sounds like pretty interesting stuff does anyone here know anything about it and would 5cc of it be enough to do anything with ? it's £25 for 5cc so a bit of a waste of money if it just blows away..

kclo4 - 14-7-2009 at 16:12

United nuclear might be a better place, IIRC they sell it also, and I bet it is cheaper then £25 for 5ml.
I think it is fairly useless, unless it is easy to get in large quantities.

setback - 14-7-2009 at 16:47

It's interesting stuff, with a lot of potential. I wouldn't call it "useless", though it might not have much use to the op. It is an excellent insulator. You can put a slab of aerogel over a torch, then put your hand on that gel and your hand won't burn. There is serious interest in it, if you can make a practical insulation material (even make window panes out of it), just imagine.

Here is a video that can give you an small overview:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHnen2nSmDY&feature=related

[Edited on 15-7-2009 by setback]

itchyfruit - 14-7-2009 at 16:51

Stupid united nuclear won't ship to England :mad:
What is IIRC ?
The golden book of chemistry in the library section of that link is almost identical to one i have called the secrets of chemistry, mines pretty old but a great book!!!

Sedit - 14-7-2009 at 17:03

If you have not seen it float yet itchy look for a video of it. The density of it is so low that in a nitrogen atmosphere its hovers in mid air.

I think setback hit the nail on the head that for an amature the most useful property this substance has is its heat resistance.

querjek - 14-7-2009 at 17:12

Quote: Originally posted by itchyfruit  

What is IIRC ?

"If I Recall Correctly"

kclo4 - 14-7-2009 at 18:22

I said: I think it is fairly useless, unless it is easy to get in large quantities.

That 5cc of it is not going to find much use, since it is not easy to get (for that price) or in large quantities.

itchyfruit - 15-7-2009 at 15:07

Thanks querjek i've been trying to work out what that meant for a while now ;)
I don't think i'll bother buying any for the time being,but it's good to know it's their just in case!!

itchyfruit - 15-7-2009 at 15:11

I don't seem to be able to find any videos of it floating!!!

ammonium isocyanate - 15-7-2009 at 15:38

I have 100cc of aerogel which I ordered a little while back from united nuclear :D. It's pretty interesting stuff. Ive used it as a dessicant in some of my experiments (its highly porous structure makes it absorb water very quickly - touching it leaves your fingers bone dry). I also plan on using it as a novel alternative to silica gel in LC chromatography.

itchyfruit - 15-7-2009 at 15:46

That's nice for those who can order from united nuclear,but they won't ship to england :( free world 'my arse it is :mad:

entropy51 - 15-7-2009 at 16:00

From www.unitednuclear.com, it sounds like a financial decision.

Why no international orders?
It is expensive and difficult to track international packages. Lost or damaged items that we've shipped internationally in the past have taken us close to 2 years to get reimbursed for shipping damages. In addition, import Customs in other countries have a bad habit of confiscating many of our products like radioactive ore samples, chemicals, and even ordinary items at times. People generally aren't very happy when they've paid money for something and never receive it, or their money back. So, in short... we do not process orders outside the USA.

itchyfruit - 15-7-2009 at 16:08

I sort of see their point,but i don't see why they can't open a English/European branch. They do sell some great stuff and it would be pretty cool to be able to shop their. Bloody life!!

ProChem - 4-8-2009 at 11:33

i bought 950cc of aerogel granules to study as a catalyst support. I bought it from United Nuclear for 35USD. I don't see why UN cant ship aerogel to UK. Shame they dont.

[Edited on 4-8-2009 by ProChem]

kclo4 - 4-8-2009 at 19:12

If aerogel interests you, SEAgel could also. It is made of agar, but it is even lighter then aerogel, and looks possible to make at home if one has a decent vacuum and temperature regulation.