Ultralight material
Encyclopedia
Ultralight materials are solids with a density of less than 10 mg/cm3, including silica aerogel
s, carbon nanotube
aerogel
s, metallic foams, polymeric foam
s, and metallic microlattice
s. The density of air
is about 1.275 mg/cm3, which means that the air in the pores contributes significantly to the density of the material.
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...
s, carbon nanotube
Carbon nanotube
Carbon nanotubes are allotropes of carbon with a cylindrical nanostructure. Nanotubes have been constructed with length-to-diameter ratio of up to 132,000,000:1, significantly larger than for any other material...
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...
s, metallic foams, polymeric foam
Polymeric foam
Polymeric foam may refer to:* Polyurethane foam* Polyvinyl chloride foam* Styrofoam* Polyimide foam* Silicone foam...
s, and metallic microlattice
Metallic microlattice
A metallic microlattice is a synthetic porous metallic material, consisting of an ultra-light form of metal foam. Its creators claim it is the "lightest structural material" known, with a density as low as 0.9 mg/cm3...
s. The density of air
Density of air
The density of air, ρ , is the mass per unit volume of Earth's atmosphere, and is a useful value in aeronautics and other sciences. Air density decreases with increasing altitude, as does air pressure. It also changes with variances in temperature or humidity...
is about 1.275 mg/cm3, which means that the air in the pores contributes significantly to the density of the material.