Aerogel, an ultra-lightweight and highly porous material derived from quartz, offers exceptional thermal insulation by trapping air within its pores. Traditionally used in aerospace, aerogel’s fragile, powdery nature has made it difficult to process in textiles.
Outlast Technologies has successfully integrated aerogel into flexible fabric systems through engineered composite structures, marketed as Aersulate. These fabrics deliver effective thermal insulation even in extremely thin formats, and maintain performance under compression or exposure to moisture.
Volker Schuster, Head of Research and Development at Outlast, noted that one of the key challenges was keeping the aerogel in place due to its tendency to disperse instantly into the air.
Aersulate fabrics provide reliable insulation at just 1–2 mm thickness—roughly the size of a credit card—matching or exceeding the performance of much thicker conventional insulations. This ultra-thin efficiency enables applications where volume, weight, or processing constraints previously limited insulation options.
Unlike felts, waddings, or fleeces, Aersulate maintains its thermal performance under pressure, as the aerogel structure continues to trap air and prevent heat transfer. Additionally, its insulation is largely unaffected by humidity, ensuring reliable thermal protection even in moist conditions.