Examples of green aerogels developed by researchers at CDE from upcycled waste materials have gone on show at a public exhibition at VivoCity shopping mall.
Titled "From Waste to Useful Aerogel: Upcycling for Sustainability" the exhibition showcases novel technologies for transforming everyday waste materials, such as scrap rubber tyres, metal, paper, textiles and pineapple leaves, into useful, high-value aerogels with a variety of daily and industrial applications.
The research behind the aerogels is supported by Singapore-based real estate developer Mapletree under its corporate social responsibility (CSR) sustainability initiatives.
At the opening of the exhibition, Associate Professor Duong Hai Minh (Department of Mechanical Engineering), the lead researcher behind the development of the aerogels led a walkthrough of the exhibits for Mapletree's CSR Board Committee and senior faculty members of NUS.
"Aerogels are a class of highly porous materials that can be used in a wide range of applications - from heat and noise insulation and clothing, to filtering carbon dioxide and toxic gas, cleaning oil spills and even medical devices," Asst Prof Duong said.
"By turning what would otherwise be considered low-value waste into useful, high-value materials, our research offers a sustainable solution to the management of waste materials and could significantly reduce the harmful effects of waste materials on the environment and society."
Aerogels are among the lightest solid materials known to man, with more than 95% of their volume made up of air, yet they are also extremely strong. Previously aerogels have been made from silica, but the NUS team's research has found a novel, environmentally friendly and low cost method to make them from waste materials.
Mr Edmund Cheng, Chairman of Mapletree said: "As a real estate company committed to sustainable development and investment, we are pleased to see good progress in the development of green aerogel technology. Aligned to Mapletree's corporate social responsibility pillars of environment and education, we are delighted to support NUS CDE in organising this exhibition at VivoCity to educate the public about the importance of recycling and doing our part to reduce negative impact on the environment."
The exhibition at VivoCity runs until 18 January, located at Level 1, Southeast Boulevard.
