An incredibly light material that can reduce aircraft engine noise to little more than that of a hair-dryer has been developed by researchers at the University of Bath.
The meringue-like insulation weighs just 2.1kg per cubic metre – making it the lightest ever manufactured.
Researchers from the university’s Materials and Structures Centre (MAST) believe the pioneering graphene oxide-polyvinyl alcohol aerogel could be used as insulation in aircraft engine nacelles to reduce noise by up to 16 decibels – reducing the 105-decibel roar of a jet engine taking off.
And because its air-bubble – or honeycomb – structure makes it extremely light, there would be almost no increase in overall weight.
The material is currently being further optimised by the research team to offer improved heat dissipation, offering benefits to fuel efficiency and safety.
The team has also published a method for manufacturing the materials in the journal Nature Scientific Reports.
Prof Michele Meo, pictured, who led the research, said: “This is clearly a very exciting material that could be applied in a number of ways – initially in aerospace but potentially in many other fields such as automotive and marine transport, as well as in building and construction.
“We managed to produce such an extremely low density by using a liquid combination of graphene oxide and a polymer, which are formed with whipped air bubbles and freeze-casted.
“On a very basic level, the technique can be compared with whipping egg whites to create meringues – it’s solid but contains a lot of air, so there is no weight or efficiency penalty to achieve big improvements in comfort and noise.”
Although the team’s initial focus is in working with partners in aerospace to test the material as a sound insulator in aeroplane engines, they say it could also be used to create panels in helicopters, or car engines. They estimate that the aerogel could be in use within 18 months.
