US Patent 7560062 High strength, nanoporous bodies reinforced with fibrous materials

This invention discloses improvements that can be achieved in thermal or mechanical performance of aerogel composites via densification. Densified aerogels and aerogel composites can display higher compressive strength, modulus, flexural strength, and maintains or insubstantially increases the thermal conductivity relative to the pre-densified form. In the special case of fiber reinforced aerogel composites densification via mechanical compression can prove highly beneficial.