Chinese scientists perfect world’s lightest material `carbon aerogel’

Scientists at China's Zhejiang University have developed an ultra-light substance, called `carbon aerogel', which has a density of 0.16 milligrams per cubic centimetre, the lightest material so far available in the world.

A team of scientists in China has produced the lightest material ever made.

The material, the lightest so far produced, is made of granite and carbon nanotubes, and is capable of socking up 900 times its own body weight, the university announced in a statement.

''Carbon aerogel is similar to carbon sponge in structure,'' professor Gao Chao, who headed the team of scientists, said in the statement.

''When an aerogel of the size of a mug is put on Setaria, the slender grass will not bend,'' he said.

According to Chao, the new material with extra absorption capacity and compression could be used in curbing problems related to pollution and cleaning oil spills.

"Carbon aerogel is similar to carbon sponge in structure. When an aerogel of the size of a mug is put on Setaria, the slender grass will not bend," Chao said.

The research team is very positive about its mass production and large-scale applications, although the high cost investments needed to produce the material would be a major obstacle.

The researchers said their pioneering method of freeze-drying  solutions of carbon nanotubes and graphene in order to remove moisture and retain integrity not only makes the process of producing carbon aerogel more convenient, but also opens the door for mass production and large-scale applications.