For the first time paper waste turned into green aerogel.

 For the first time in history of science and technology the scientists from National University of Singapore (NUS) have successfully converted paper waste into “ green cellulose aerogels” that are non-toxic, ultra-light, flexible, extremely strong and water repellent. 

Aerogels, are among the lightest solid materials known to man and are one of the finest insulation materials available. Traditional aerogels are mainly made of silica, which is not environment-friendly but the aerogels obtained by this method are biodegradable, simple, and cost-effective.

Features and applications :

These novel aerogels have low thermal conductivity and super high oil absorption capacity i.e. 4 times higher than commercial sorbents available in the market. Oil spills are serious disasters that threaten marine ecosystems. Sorption has been considered one of the most effective ways to clean oil spills.

 “ Its fabrication process uses 70 per cent less energy and produces fewer polluting emissions into the air and water as well as uses less dioxins in the chlorine bleaching process.”

Applications :

The novel aerogels can be used for oil spill cleaning as it has four times higher absorbing capacity than commercial sorbents available in the market. It can also serve as heat insulation materials for buildings as it is one of the finest insulating material available.

It can be also used in packaging industry and  plastic-based packing materials such as the bubble wrap could be replaced with biodegradable aerogel-based foam or advanced cellulose aerogel nanosheets, which are environmentally-friendly. With high surface area and high porosity, the biodegradable aerogels could also be used as coating materials in drug delivery or as smart materials.