Cabot Corp to Launch New Commercial Aerogel Coating Technology in United States
Cabot Corporation of Boston, MA, one of the world’s major aerogel producers, has announced it will release its TLD201 Nanogel® aerogel matting coating in the United States. A matting coating is something applied to a surface to make it look dull (or matte). Cabot’s Nanogel materials are subcritically dried silica aerogel which are translucent but not clear. As a result, their materials tend to scatter light creating a diffuse appearance. Already available in Europe for several years for wood, metal, and other substrates, this coating also gives materials scratch resistance, resistance to water and corrosion, weatherability, increased flexibility, and decreased thermal conductivity. Furthermore, the coating is made from particles manufactured in a green manufacturing process, and the final product is actually also environmentally-benign. This is great to hear since aerogel materials and coatings have lots of potential for helping save energy in various ways, but only if the manufacturing process doesn’t offset it!