https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022309397004304
"The properties of aerogels that make them such good insulators also make them inherently fragile and brittle. Thus, their use in load-bearing applications presents a challenge. Currently, attention is being placed on improving the mechanical properties of aerogels without sacrificing other unique properties."
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5848911/
"Despite this great potential, poor mechanical performance still limits its large-scale and commercial applications. Experimental studies have recently shown that the mechanical reliability of silica aerogels can be greatly reinforced by adding other coexisting materials into the aerogel such as polymer, carbon nanotubes, titanium, ceramic fiber, etc. [8,9,10]. However, the structure–property relationships of silica aerogels are still unclear due to its complex disorderly structures and limited experimental tools"
"The properties of aerogels that make them such good insulators also make them inherently fragile and brittle. Thus, their use in load-bearing applications presents a challenge. Currently, attention is being placed on improving the mechanical properties of aerogels without sacrificing other unique properties."
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5848911/
"Despite this great potential, poor mechanical performance still limits its large-scale and commercial applications. Experimental studies have recently shown that the mechanical reliability of silica aerogels can be greatly reinforced by adding other coexisting materials into the aerogel such as polymer, carbon nanotubes, titanium, ceramic fiber, etc. [8,9,10]. However, the structure–property relationships of silica aerogels are still unclear due to its complex disorderly structures and limited experimental tools"