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NTU develops new material that provides better heat insulation, soundproofing

SINGAPORE — A new material that offers better heat insulation and soundproofing is expected to hit the market early next year.

Dr Mahesh Sachithanadam holding the NTU thin foam with his left hand, comparing it to normal sound-proofing material. Photo: NTU

Dr Mahesh Sachithanadam holding the NTU thin foam with his left hand, comparing it to normal sound-proofing material. Photo: NTU

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SINGAPORE — A new material that offers better heat insulation and soundproofing is expected to hit the market early next year.

Developed by Nanyang Technological University (NTU), the new foam insulates against heat 2.6 times better than conventional insulation foam. It can also block out 80 per cent of outside noise, 30 per cent more than traditional materials used in soundproofing.

The non-flammable foam, known as aerogel composites, can be used in a wide range of applications, including in building and construction, oil and gas and the automotive industry, said NTU in a statement on Tuesday (Nov 22).

It took NTU Assoc Prof Sunil Chandrankant Joshi and his then-PhD student, Dr Mahesh Sachithanadam, four years to develop. The technology had been published in peer-reviewed scientific journals and a patent has been filed by NTU’s innovation and enterprise arm NTUitive.

The technology has been licensed by local firm Bronx Creative & Design Center (BDC), with a joint venture of S$7 million. A production plant that will produce the aerogel composites in various forms such as sheets or panels, in line with current industry sizes, will be operational by 2017.

Branded “Bronx AeroSil” by BDC, the foam is being developed for various applications. For example, to reduce the noise generated by a truck driving by, only 15mm of the new material would be needed compared to 25mm thick common insulation foam.

The foam is thinner than conventional foam, offers better performance and is “greener to manufacture”, said Assoc Prof Sunil. He noted that since it does not require high heat treatment or toxic materials to produce, it is “a lot more eco-friendly and less hazardous to the environment”.

Mr Thomas Ng, R&D Director of BDC, said: “Moving forward, we hope to show the current market that going green doesn’t mean that performance has to be compromised. We will be working with industry partners and certified testing labs to achieve the relevant standards and certifications.”

BDC is in talks with other companies to expand the production to India and various South-east Asia countries within the next three years.

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