Meringue-Like Material Reduces Aircraft Noise

The low-density, graphene-based aerogel could make aircraft as quiet as a hairdryer.

Inside Story, November 2021: Momentive Materials in Space, Defense, and Aviation

Thanos Yiagopoulos, Chief Technology Officer of Momentive Performance Materials, discusses how engineers can determine the best product for their application.

Keeping Warmer in the Great Outdoors

A long-time apparel insulator develops its own takes on popular NASA spinoff material.

Insulation Material Enables More Efficient Electricity Distribution

High-voltage direct current cables can more efficiently transport electricity over long distances.

Polymer-Based Electrical Insulation for Circuits

The new material could help put more power in smaller microchips.

Material System Harnesses Evaporation to Keep Items Cool

Inspired by camel fur, a two-layered material could provide extended cooling to preserve the freshness of perishable goods.

Aerogel-Reinforced Composites

The flexible composites can be used as thermal insulation for environments of up to 1200 °C.

Graphene Device with Superconducting, Insulating, and Magnetic Properties

The multitasking device could advance development of an electric circuit for faster, next-generation electronics like quantum computing technologies.

Artificial Intelligence Finds and Labels 2D Materials Instantly

The AI system can help shorten the time required for 2D material-based electronics to be ready for consumer devices.

High-Reliability Radio Frequency MEMS Switch

Applications include homeland security, vehicle anti-collision systems, telecommunications systems, and industrial instrumentation.

Layered Composite Insulation

This cost-saving piping insulation has uses in refrigerated containers that protect food, medicine, and other perishables.

Electrically Non-Conductive Ladder Fall Protection

This system protects workers on lightning and telecommunications towers, and on oil and gas platforms.

Thermally Conductive Polymer Films

These materials may replace metals as lightweight, flexible heat dissipators in cars, computers, cellphones, and refrigerators.

Durable Polyimide Aerogels

Stronger and flexible, polyimide aerogels provide insulation and structural support.

Atomically Thin Heat Shield Protects Electronic Devices

Excess heat given off by smartphones, laptops, and other electronic devices contributes to malfunctions and, in extreme cases, can even cause lithium batteries to explode. To guard...

Textile Cools or Insulates Automatically

Researchers have created a fabric that automatically regulates the amount of heat that passes through, depending on conditions; for example, when conditions are warm and moist — such as those of a...

Controlling Thermal Conductivity of Polymers with Light

Polymers are regularly used as thermal insulators and can even be used as thermal conductors to enable efficient heating or cooling. A new type of polymer was created that demonstrates...

Products of Tomorrow

This column presents technologies that have applications in commercial areas, possibly creating the products of tomorrow. To learn more about each technology, see the contact information provided for that innovation.

Novel Dielectric Ceramic by Spark Plasma Sintering

Researchers at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center have developed a new dielectric material based on barium titanate nanopowder processed via spark plasma sintering (SPS). The rapid and...

See-Through Film Rejects 70 Percent of Incoming Solar Heat

A heat-rejecting film was developed that could be applied to a building’s windows to reflect up to 70 percent of the Sun’s incoming heat. The film remains highly transparent...

The Heat Is On: A Guide to Specifying Insulation Materials

One of the first things an electrical engineer will learn is that the number-one enemy of designing and manufacturing any electrical/electronic product is heat. It's the one...

Chip with Micro-Hotplate for Self-Healing and Sustainable Electronics

Heat treatment, also known as annealing, is a common step in the semiconductor fabrication process. A buildup of radiation-induced localized charge within the...

Aerogel Insulation Makes Thinner, Warmer Outerwear

Spinoff is NASA's annual publication featuring successfully commercialized NASA technology. This commercialization has contributed to the development of products and services in the fields...

Q&A: University of Virginia’s Patrick Hopkins Studies How to Regulate a Material’s Thermal Conductivity

Professor Hopkins and University of Virginia colleagues — in collaboration with materials scientists at Penn State, the University...

NASA at 60: From Space to Earth

The benefits of NASA's space exploration efforts are not limited to the cosmos. NASA technologies provide innovative solutions for people around the world. NASA missions have generated thousands of spinoffs...