1931
Kistler
Samuel Kistler replaced liquid in a jelly with gas — aerogel named.
Milestones in order. This is history, not a weekly activity grid.
- Kistler
- Lab curiosities
- NASA Stardust
- Aspen Aerogels
- Cabot particles
- EN 13501 blankets
- Polymer aerogels
- VIP competition
- EV battery pads
- Price still premium
Darker cells mean a higher score for this topic on that metric.
Strength12
Heat resistance84
Fire performance86
Insulation98
Workability28
Circularity50
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Last reviewed Sources & creditsMedia creditsMethodology
Quick answers
Is Aerogel non-combustible?
Declared reaction class in this atlas: silica A1; polymer aerogels not. Assemblies still need resistance tests.
Does Aerogel insulate?
Thermal mark 98/100 versus the atlas. Conductivity note: silica blankets ~0.015–0.025 W/m·K class.
What is the density band?
~0.003–0.15 g/cm³
How is it made?
Origin story: Kistler 1931; NASA / Aspen 1990s– (United States).
Can it be recycled?
Circularity mark 50/100 — editorial, route-specific.
Typical melting or failure heat?
silica sinters; organic aerogels burn
heat 84 · fire 86
Aerogel did not arrive as a finished commodity. Kistler 1931; NASA / Aspen 1990s– around United States still explains who makes it and which tests it sits in.
Ten dated points, five eras and three milestones below are the spine — not a complete industrial history.
Where it began
Kistler 1931; NASA / Aspen 1990s–United States
Timeline
1931Kistler
Samuel Kistler replaced liquid in a jelly with gas — aerogel named.
1960s–80sLab curiosities
TEOS chemistry, supercritical drying cost.
1990sNASA Stardust
Silica aerogel captured comet dust.
1998Aspen Aerogels
Blankets for oil & gas and later buildings.
2000sCabot particles
Translucent granules for daylighting trials.
2010sEN 13501 blankets
Building λ claims entered datasheets.
2010sPolymer aerogels
PI and PU aerogels — check fire class.
2018VIP competition
Aerogel vs vacuum panels in retrofit.
2020sEV battery pads
Thin fire-and-thermal pads.
2020sPrice still premium
Not a mineral-wool replacement on cost.
The eras
1990s
NASA Stardust
Silica aerogel captured comet dust.
2000s
Cabot particles
Translucent granules for daylighting trials.
2010s
Polymer aerogels
PI and PU aerogels — check fire class.
2020s
EV battery pads
Thin fire-and-thermal pads.
Milestones
Aspen Aerogels
1998Blankets for oil & gas and later buildings.
Polymer aerogels
2010sPI and PU aerogels — check fire class.
Price still premium
2020sNot a mineral-wool replacement on cost.
Knowing this timeline is how to read a mill certificate without treating Aerogel as timeless.
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