Process energy / dust
Mills, fibres, isocyanates, metal fume or silica — name the actual agent.
Darker cells mean a higher score for this topic on that metric.
Strength12
Heat resistance84
Fire performance86
Insulation98
Workability28
Circularity50
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Last reviewed Sources & creditsMedia creditsMethodology
Quick answers
Is Aerogel non-combustible?
Declared reaction class in this atlas: silica A1; polymer aerogels not. Assemblies still need resistance tests.
Does Aerogel insulate?
Thermal mark 98/100 versus the atlas. Conductivity note: silica blankets ~0.015–0.025 W/m·K class.
What is the density band?
~0.003–0.15 g/cm³
How is it made?
Origin story: Kistler 1931; NASA / Aspen 1990s– (United States).
Can it be recycled?
Circularity mark 50/100 — editorial, route-specific.
Typical melting or failure heat?
silica sinters; organic aerogels burn
heat 84 · fire 86
Safety here is encyclopedia, not a workplace assessment. Name the agent: dust, isocyanate, fibre, fume, moisture, fire.
Fire class silica A1; polymer aerogels not is reaction language unless an assembly test is cited.
Hazards
In service
Corrosion, moisture, UV or creep silently retire sections.
Fire products
Smoke, drip, fibres or toxicants depend on chemistry.
Cut / puncture
Handling injuries are more common than brochure failures.
Mis-specification
The wrong grade is the most expensive hazard.
Fire class
Reaction
silica A1; polymer aerogels not
Resistance
Assemblies (EI, R, Type X) are not implied by the material letter.
Test families
EN 13501, ASTM E84, ISO 5660, KS F 2271 — they do not equal each other.
People vs structure
Clothing FR and steel R-ratings are different professions.
Environment
Carbon / energy
Primary production is energy-heavy; ask for a route, not a slogan.
Toxics / fibres
Additives, dusts and processing aids (not always the polymer backbone) drive regulation.
Water
Process water, leachate or moisture swelling.
End of life
Sortability beats theoretical recyclability.
Handling
Store dry and labelled
Grade mix-ups scrap lots.
PPE for the actual agent
Fibres, isocyanates, UV, sharp edges — not a generic “chemicals” pictogram.
Do not improvise fire class
Coatings and cavities change the letter.
Follow the WPS / DFT / compression
Installation is in the specification.
Codes move. Recheck KS, JIS, EN, NFPA and IBC editions for the job’s jurisdiction.
Keep exploring
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