Aerogels in Action
Aerogel insulation can assist in controlling and maintaining blood temperature and increasing blood flow to the hands and feet.Copyright NASA http://www.nasa.gov/images/content/661709main_aerogel2_full.jpg
Students experiment with a new material—aerogel. Aerogel is a synthetic (human-made) porous ultra-light (low-density) material, in which the liquid component of a gel is replaced with a gas. In this activity, student pairs use aerogel to simulate the environmental engineering application of cleaning up oil spills. In a simple and fun way, this activity incorporates density calculations, the material effects of surface area, and hydrophobic and hydrophilic properties.
Two major branches of engineering are threaded through this activity. Students learn how materials science engineers create new and amazing materials with desired properties, and how environmental engineers find aerogels helpful in cleaning up oil spills because of their high surface areas and strong hydrophobicity. Further, this activity touches on nanotechnology and engages students' math skills to determine the density of aerogel particles.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Describe the nanoscale and nanotechnology.
- Explain that aerogels are often hydrophobic and used in a few special applications.
- Discuss the differences in hydrophobicity and density between water, oil and aerogel.