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Spinoff story
Polyimide Aerogels Boost Antennas, Insulate Pipes
A real-world story of NASA technology finding a life beyond the mission.
About this technology
Overview
Research Center_s Mary Ann Meador is an expert in aerogels: low-density solids that make excellent insulators. Using polyimide polymers, she and her team created a new aerogel five times stronger than earlier polymer-reinforced silica aerogels and one that can be cast into a thin, very flexible layer. FLEXcon, in Spencer, Massachusetts, licensed the patent in 2015 and is selling the aerogel as insulation for pipes in extreme environments, among other applications.