Aerogel Surface Tension

Aerogel felt is super-hydrophobic with a surface tension of 5 dyne/cm². This experiment demonstrates the low surface tension as tested with weights, 20 grams of aerogel felt supported a 320-gram load.

The Lifshitz–van der Waals/acid–base approach was employed to calculate the surface free energy of the aerogel, allowing for the determination of its polar and non-polar components.