Indian scientists have claimed that they have developed the world's lightest material ever made by man, called Silica Aerogel, also referred to as "frozen smoke" or "blue air."
This synthetic material can be incorporated both on Earth as well as in space, and comes with outstanding thermal resistance. It can be smartly used as a filler in soldiers' uniforms to keep them warm when subjected to freezing cold climatic conditions, explained by scientists at the Vikram Sarabhai Space Center (VSCC), Thiruvananthapuram, India.
Indian soldiers posted in regions such as the Siachen Glacier where the weather conditions are extremely cold and harsh, can really benefit from this heat-inducing material. It could prove to be a real life saver to these military personnel. The uniform worn by these soldiers is quite heavy and weighs around 3 kilograms (6.6 pounds).
"Using this material, the jackets' weight can be brought down to around 200 to 300 grams (0.44 to 0.66 pound) and shoes to around 800 grams (1.77 pounds)," said K Sivan, Ph.D. director of VSCC.
More About Silica Aerogel
It is interesting to note that owing to its extreme weightlessness it can even be gently placed atop a delicate flower! Incredible, isn't it?
"It is the world's lightest synthetic material made by man. It is a highly guarded technology. We have indigenously made it in India. It is used for insulating the rocket's surface." said Sivan.
Scientists are hoping that this material can be incorporated diligently into rocket engines. However, the uses of this lightweight material can go far and beyond insulation.
Sivan added that the material can have applications for other items, such as thermal jackets, foot insoles, as well as window glazing. He particularly points out that it can prove to be extremely useful for people working in very frigid environments, in a very strategic way.
Thermal jackets and foot insoles? Looks like lightweight thermal clothing made from silica aerogel might make way for a new trend in the near future, promptly replacing the current array of heavy furry winter clothing.
Further, in freezing cold regions such as Antarctica, if the windows are painted with this silica aerogel material, it can aptly work as an insulator and provide ample protection from the icy cold winds.
Aerogel predominantly contains air - a whopping 99 percent! Hence, it is being slated for use in the space center's next mission to the moon namely Chandryaan-2.
The upsides are plenty, but the downside to this material is that it is extremely delicate and fragile. Scientists are trying to address this issue by testing and trying various ways to toughen the material and make it more resilient.
Aerogel actually came into existence a couple of decades ago. In the 1930s, aerogel was invented at the NASA's Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, and has since been used in space related applications.
