Wearable thermal insulation materials for harsh environments always require a compromise during their design and manufacturing. On one hand they need to be mechanically tough to provide impact resistance. On the other hand they need to be heat resistant. Now, researchers have developed a wearable aramid/ceramic aerogel nanocomposite material with both excellent mechanical and thermal properties. The key to this fabrication method is the in situ crosslinking that takes place between the silica pre-ceramic aerogel precursor and the Kevlar fibers.
