Aerogel is a treated silica product with a surface that looks chemically similar to common silica products. The most significant difference is the higher surface area or larger pore volume of the aerogel compared to the silica.

Yes. Nanogel is a surface-treated precipitated synthetic amorphous silica gel that is chemically very similar to other silica products. It consists of 97% treated precipitated silica amorphous silica gel and 3% water. Precipitated silica is a common product used in personal care products such as lotions and cosmetics. Nanogel aerogel does not contain crystalline silica and is neither carcinogenic nor mutagenic.

Aerogel has unique thermal, acoustic, optical and mechanical properties. All of these are largely a result of the pore size and pore size distribution of aerogel. Because aerogel has an average pore size of 20 nanometers it has a unique interaction with heat, sound and light.