aerogel melting point

The melting point of a material is the temperature at which it begins to melt. This is a property of the material that can be measured and analyzed, so that scientists can know how to best design materials for certain applications.

For aerogels, the melting point is about 1200 oC. This is a relatively high temperature for a liquid because of its low molecular weight and small size.

Aerogels do have a high temperature resistance, and this is important for applications where there may be an intense heat source. These include space travel, Cherenkov radiation detectors and thermal insulation.

How to make an aerogel

To make aerogels, the first step is to combine a solid substance with a liquid. The gel is then purified. This is done by soaking it under a pure solvent that allows the impurities to fade away and the pure substance to be applied.

After the gel has been purified, it is then dried. This is done through a process called supercritical drying.

This involves introducing liquid carbon dioxide into the gel that has been prepared with a solid substance, such as silica. The carbon dioxide exceeds its critical point, which is when it can be both a gas and a liquid, and the gel is then extracted.

This process removes all the liquid from the gel without allowing it to collapse or lose volume. This is because the gas that is removed from the gel, in the form of carbon dioxide, replaces the liquid with gas. This is done multiple times to ensure that all of the liquid is removed from the gel.