Nanogel
Encyclopedia
Nanogel is a brand of aerogel
insulation
mainly used in building products and oil
and gas
industries. It is sometimes called "frozen smoke". It is made by Cabot Corporation
, which has a plant in Frankfurt
, Germany
. It is an aerogel
that consists of 95% air, in nano-sized pores that inhibit heat transfer through the aerogel
. Made in grades from opaque
to translucent, it can be adapted to different environments.
Properties include:
systems. It helps to retain the natural light while doubling the insulation. It is non-toxic, non-combustible, reduces glare, lowers noise levels and reduces HVAC
loads.
Although the added insulation saves energy costs, and - depending on the climate - may be cost-effective in the long run, the initial cost may be prohibitive for lower budget projects.
Aerogel
Aerogel is a synthetic porous material derived from a gel, in which the liquid component of the gel has been replaced with a gas. The result is a solid with extremely low density and thermal conductivity...
insulation
Building insulation
building insulation refers broadly to any object in a building used as insulation for any purpose. While the majority of insulation in buildings is for thermal purposes, the term also applies to acoustic insulation, fire insulation, and impact insulation...
mainly used in building products and oil
Oil
An oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
and gas
Gas
Gas is one of the three classical states of matter . Near absolute zero, a substance exists as a solid. As heat is added to this substance it melts into a liquid at its melting point , boils into a gas at its boiling point, and if heated high enough would enter a plasma state in which the electrons...
industries. It is sometimes called "frozen smoke". It is made by Cabot Corporation
Cabot Corporation
Cabot Corporation is a specialty chemicals and performance materials company. It operates in four segments: the Carbon Black Business, the Metal Oxides Business, the Supermetals Business, and the Specialty Fluids Business. Cabot's headquarters is located in Boston, Massachusetts...
, which has a plant in Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It is an aerogel
Aerogel
Aerogel is a synthetic porous material derived from a gel, in which the liquid component of the gel has been replaced with a gas. The result is a solid with extremely low density and thermal conductivity...
that consists of 95% air, in nano-sized pores that inhibit heat transfer through the aerogel
Aerogel
Aerogel is a synthetic porous material derived from a gel, in which the liquid component of the gel has been replaced with a gas. The result is a solid with extremely low density and thermal conductivity...
. Made in grades from opaque
Opacity (optics)
Opacity is the measure of impenetrability to electromagnetic or other kinds of radiation, especially visible light. In radiative transfer, it describes the absorption and scattering of radiation in a medium, such as a plasma, dielectric, shielding material, glass, etc...
to translucent, it can be adapted to different environments.
Properties include:
- High porosity: Highly porous structure provides high reinforcement and matting efficiency at low concentrations
- Flowability: Excellent flow properties
- Friability: Under intense dispersion conditions, particles are reduced to sub-micrometer sizes, leading to superior reinforcement
- Hydrophobic surface: Particles repel water but can be wetted by oleophilic substances such as oils
- Open porosity: Pores are open to each other within the structure
- Particle size: Available in a wide range of particle sizes
- Surface treatment: Surface groups are chemically anchored to the silica skeleton and thus are stable over a wide range of temperatures and pH
Nanogel in Skylighting
Nanogel is increasingly being used in skylights and daylightingDaylighting
Daylighting is the practice of placing windows or other openings and reflective surfaces so that during the day natural light provides effective internal lighting. Particular attention is given to daylighting while designing a building when the aim is to maximize visual comfort or to reduce energy...
systems. It helps to retain the natural light while doubling the insulation. It is non-toxic, non-combustible, reduces glare, lowers noise levels and reduces HVAC
HVAC
HVAC refers to technology of indoor or automotive environmental comfort. HVAC system design is a major subdiscipline of mechanical engineering, based on the principles of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, and heat transfer...
loads.
Although the added insulation saves energy costs, and - depending on the climate - may be cost-effective in the long run, the initial cost may be prohibitive for lower budget projects.