A research team from the University of Central Florida have created a new form of super light battery material known as multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT). It is a translucent, stiff foam which is made from silica, metal oxide, polymers and carbon based materials. The material, commonly known as Frozen Smoke, is thousand times lighter and thinner than human hair. The research team includes Associate Professor Lei Zhai and Postdoctoral Associate Jianhua Zou.
The density of aerogel is 4 milligrams per cubic centimeter and it has 99.8 percent air in it. Its unusual properties are low thermal conductivity, refractive index and sound speed. Aerogel is electrically conductive and has very high porosity of over 50%, with pore diameters ranging from 2 to 50 nanometers, and extremely high surface areas ranging between 400-1000 square meters per gram.
Via: Inhabitat
