Chinese team’s tough aerogel could shield aircraft from new extremes

SCMP | July 24, 2025, 9:50 a.m. | Original

Aerogels are lightweight, porous solid materials with extremely low density and exceptional thermal insulation properties. Photo: Handout

Chinese scientists have proposed a novel method for producing aerogels that significantly improves their heat resistance and mechanical properties, with potential for use in high-speed aircraft and space exploration, according to a paper published this month in a top journal.
Aerogels are lightweight, porous solid materials with extremely low density and exceptional thermal insulation properties. They are widely used for insulation or thermal protection in spacecraft , military equipment and electronics.

However, despite their superior insulating abilities, conventional aerogels typically suffer from poor mechanical strength, making them vulnerable to pressure or impact.

Researchers from Zhejiang University in eastern China have developed a universal preparation technique that enables the creation of aerogels with an internal dome-like cellular structure. By varying the raw materials, hundreds of formulations can be derived, each exhibiting high elasticity. Their findings were published in the peer-reviewed journal Science on July 17.

The method, dubbed the “2D channel-confined chemistry” approach, involves the use of nanoscale graphene oxide during production.

“The key lies in the layered assembly process, akin to making a mille-feuille pastry,” explained Xu Zhen, an associate professor at Zhejiang University and one of the paper’s corresponding authors.

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