The department of Aerogels and Aerogel Composites of the Institute of Materials Research at the German Aerospace Center in cooperation with the University of Cologne (UzK), the Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), the Center of Applied Energy Research (CAE), the University of Salzburg and the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) is organizing the 8^th International Summer School on Aerogels in Cologne, Germany, on September 23 - 27^th, 2024.

Aerogels are nano-structured open porous materials mostly synthesized via a sol-gel process from organic or inorganic precursors.
They most often combine such extraordinary properties as high porosity (up to 99.9 %), ultralow density (50 – 200 kg/m³), high surface area (up to 2000 m²/g) and a very low thermal conductivity (0.0005 - 0.020 W/(m·K)). With these unique properties, they are predestined for a broad range of applications including thermal and acoustic insulation, lightweight construction, supercapacitors, batteries or catalyst materials.

Why you should join?

1. Get an insight into the science behind aerogel’s synthesis and their material properties.
2. Hands on experience in numerical modelling, synthesis and characterization of aerogels.
3. Learn about use-cases, projects and application in different domains.
4. Opportunity to get in deeper discussion with the experts and subject matter experts from the industry and academia as well as with the entrepreneurship.

Students, PhD-Students, Postdocs, experienced scientists from universities, research organization and industry are invited to have a unique experience: the modelling, manufacturing and characterization of a fascinating nanostructured material.

See the current program here.
Link to the Video DLR West - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_wDNDKFQ57Q