MOBILITY ENGINEERING Produced by SAE Media Group
MOBILITY ENGINEERING
Magazines
Magazine cover

Current Issue

Archives

Magazine cover

Current Issue

Archives

Magazine cover

Current Issue

Archives

Magazine cover

Current Issue

Archives

Ultra-lightweight Ceramic Withstands Extreme Temperatures

The new ceramic aerogel is so lightweight that it can rest on a flower without damaging it. (Xiangfeng Duan and Xiang Xu/UCLA)

An extremely light, highly durable ceramic aerogel was developed that could ultimately be an upgrade for spacecraft insulation. The new material is made of thin layers of boron nitride with atoms that are connected in hexagon patterns, like chicken wire.

Ordinary ceramic materials usually expand when heated and contract when they are cooled. Over time, those repeated temperature changes can lead those materials to fracture and ultimately fail. The new aerogel was designed to be more durable by doing just the opposite — it contracts rather than expanding when heated.

Source 

Topics:
Aerospace Ceramics Materials

More From SAE Media Group

    Top Stories

    INSIDERDefense

    Feature Image New Raytheon and Lockheed Martin Agreements Expand Missile Defense Production

    NewsAutomotive

    Feature Image Ford Announces 48-Volt Architecture for Future Electric Truck

    INSIDERManufacturing & Prototyping

    Feature Image Active Strake System Cuts Cruise Drag, Boosts Flight Efficiency

    ArticlesTransportation

    Feature Image Accelerating Down the Road to Autonomy

    INSIDERMaterials

    Feature Image How Airbus is Using w-DED to 3D Print Larger Titanium Airplane Parts

    Road ReadyTransportation

    Feature Image 2026 Nissan Sentra Review: Putting the Pieces Together

    Webcasts