---
title: Ultra-lightweight Ceramic Material Withstands Extreme Temperatures
description: A new ceramic aerogel is much more durable when exposed to extreme temperature changes, and much lighter than traditional aerogels, which have been used for industrial insulation since the 1990s. When heated, this material contracts rather than expanding.
---

[Fluid Systems Engineering & Management Blog | Swagelok NorCal ](https://northerncal.swagelok.com/blog)

# [Ultra-lightweight Ceramic Material Withstands Extreme Temperatures](https://northerncal.swagelok.com/blog/ultra-lightweight-ceramic-material-withstands-extreme-temperatures)

 Written by [Jeff Hopkins](https://northerncal.swagelok.com/blog/author/jeff-hopkins) | 3/21/19 4:00 PM

A new ceramic aerogel is much more durable when exposed to extreme temperature changes, and much lighter than traditional aerogels, which have been used for industrial insulation since the 1990s. When heated, this material contracts rather than expanding—and it does so perpendicular to the direction it’s compressed—making it **far more flexible and less brittle than other aerogels**.

[Read the full article on *Science Daily *→](https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/02/190214153034.htm)

[View full post](https://northerncal.swagelok.com/blog/ultra-lightweight-ceramic-material-withstands-extreme-temperatures)

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