aerogeln.
/ˈɛːrəʊdʒɛl/, U.S. /ˈɛroʊˌdʒɛl/, /ˈɛrəˌdʒɛl/ Physical Chemistry.
A very low-density solid which is made by replacing the liquid component of a gel with air or gas.Aerogels are most commonly made from silica or carbon and used as insulating materials.
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the world > matter > chemistry > physical chemistry > colloid > [noun] > gel > types
alcogel1864
hydrogel1864
aerogel1923
hydrocolloid1926
1923 W. E. Gibbs Clouds & Smokes vi. 112 Frequently a low specific gravity is due to the particles possessing the very open, spongy structure of an ‘aerogel’.
1923 R. Whytlaw-Gray et al. in Proc. Royal Soc. A. 102 613 It seems likely that our thicker deposits of ZnO and CdO possess a conformation closely analogous to many gels, and the term ‘aerogel’ suggested by Prof. Donnan is not inappropriate.
1951 Sci. News Let. 1 Sept. 144/1 The modern napalm bomb..contains a silica aerogel.
2001 D. Darling Life Everywhere viii. 162 Sometimes referred to as ‘frozen smoke,’ aerogel is so light that a block of it the size of an adult person would weigh only 0.5 kilogram yet be strong enough to support the weight of a small car.
This is a new entry (OED Third Edition, June 2008; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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n.1923