Aerogel absorbs 900 times its own weight in liquid

It is neat material but, what do they mean when they say it has a density that is one sixth that of air? Wouldn't that make it buoyant in air similar to a helium balloon?

New Carbon Nanotube Aerogel is Now the World's Lightest Solid Material

Maybe this is what I'm thinking of.

Maybe somebody with a bigger brain can explain the difference between density and bouyancy.

Well there is a difference between molecular density and mass density...?

Hello Lyn, I've got no bigger brain, just read somewhere that the aerogel is actually a gel wich was dried using a chemical and the intersticial spaces between molecules were left void (hollow?).

So, it doesn't take much to explain why it doesn't float having such a low density (it moves in the air pretty cool though), the intersticial spaces are filled with the sorrounding air, making it a bit heavier than air.

It has a lower density than air per volume, but not taking in count its extreme porosity, wich can be filled up with 900 times its weight of liquid, or with air.

Regards

Sounds good to me.

Thanks.

When it's sitting in air, its density is (for example) 1900g/m³, but when it's put in a vacuum its density is only 1000 g/m³, which makes it 1/6th less dense than air which is 1200g/m³ (at sea level, etc.)

[From Wikipedia]

It seems like there could be better uses of this amazing stuff than sopping up oil. 900 times its weight isn't that much liquid, given that it is as light as it is.

Light weight sponges can be had a lot cheaper, this stuff is rather expensive...

Check this link..claimed to be .098g/cm3.

http://www.aerogel.org/?p=549