High-strength aerogel

A new type of ultra-lightweight high strength material has been prepared at the University of Oklahoma (Tulsa, OK, USA), using a by-product of the paper-making industry (Advanced Materials, May). Bing Fung and colleagues used cellulose acetate, a polymer derived from wood pulp, to prepare an aerogel – a highly porous polymer network – which was then strengthened through a chemical cross-linking reaction. The cellulose aerogel produced is half as dense as balsa wood, but has a very high impact strength. MJD