Polycarbonate Skylight Panels With Nanogel Translucent Aerogel - New Product

Cabot Corporation, a leading global producer of specialty chemicals, has announced it has agreed to work with Super Sky Products, Inc., a division of Vitro America, to jointly produce and market a polycarbonate skylight panel system filledwith Nanogel translucent aerogel.

The 10mm and 16mm panels are composed of GE Lexan Thermoclear polycarbonate, produced by GE Structured Products, and Macrolux BDL polycarbonate, furnished by CO-EX Corporation. GE Lexan Thermoclear polycarbonate sheets are impact resistant and energy saving, multi-wall glazing sheets that feature a proprietary surface treatment which provides nearly total resistance to the degrading effects of UV light. The Macrolux BDL polycarbonate system utilizes batten caps that provide affordable diffused light.

Manufactured exclusively by Cabot using its patented process, Nanogel translucent aerogel is a lightweight, nanoporous insulation material that can deliver increased thermal insulation and light transmission levels between two and four times higher than alternative products currently available in the marketplace.

According to Super Sky CEO James Roesing: "This new system ushers in a new era of high-tech materials in daylighting.  Structured sheet polycarbonate with Nanogel aerogel saves substantial  energy, prevents condensation, is water repellent, reduces sound transmission, and will be an aesthetic asset to any building...all at a reasonable cost. This combination will also assist architects and building owners in their quest for a 'green' and energy-efficient structure."

Nanogel aerogel is a waterproof and translucent and can be produced in a range of particle sizes to optimize appearance and fenestration performance. Importantly, when used in a 16mm section panel, Nanogel aerogel delivers up to 55% light transmission and provides thermal insulation as low as 0.23 U Value, and R Value of

Posted 26^th February 2004