When it comes to aerogels, many people's initial impression is "light, soft and fragile". There are also frequent statements online like "Aerogels break easily upon impact and easily lose powder". Let me clearly tell you: The brittleness, strength and powdering issues of aerogels depend entirely on the material and production process. Not all aerogels are "extremely fragile". Today, we will reveal the truth about the mechanical properties of aerogels and help you avoid cognitive misunderstandings. 
First of all, we need to distinguish between traditional pure aerogels and high-performance composite aerogels. Their properties are vastly different.
Traditional pure aerogels (with silica as the representative) are early products. Their preparation process is simple, and the internal nano-framework structure is loose, with weak connections between particles. The compressive strength of this type of aerogel is only 0.5-3 MPa. It will crumble easily when gently squeezed by hand. During cutting, a large amount of powder will fall off. In high-temperature environments, the nano structure shrinks, and the powdering phenomenon becomes more obvious. This is the origin of the statement "aerogels are very brittle". 
However, as industrial demands have evolved, the aerogel technology has been continuously upgraded, and the composite reinforcement technology has completely transformed the mechanical properties of aerogels.
High-performance composite aerogels are created by adding reinforcing materials such as glass fibers and ceramic fibers to the aerogel matrix, combined with in-situ growth technology of nanocrystals. This process enables the loose nanoscale framework to form a stable network structure, similar to adding "reinforcing bars" to the "nano sponge", significantly enhancing the strength and toughness. 
In terms of compressive strength, the compressive strength of the silicon-based composite aerogel reaches 8.5 MPa, which is 3 to 5 times that of traditional pure aerogel and can withstand regular compression and vibration in industrial scenarios; the compressive strength of the carbon-based composite aerogel is even as high as 90 MPa, with extremely strong shock and compression resistance, and can even be used in scenarios with heavy loads. In short, this aerogel will not break when pressed hard, and is not easily damaged during transportation and installation. 
In terms of tensile strength and toughness, the performance of the flexible composite aerogel is even more astonishing.
It not only has a tensile strength of 5-10 MPa, but can also easily achieve a 90° bend, be repeatedly folded, and even be rolled into a coil. When unfolded, it has no cracks and does not lose powder. Laboratory tests show that this aerogel can undergo 10,000 cycles of compression at 50% strain, with only 2% plastic deformation, a rebound rate of over 95%, and its fatigue resistance far exceeds that of traditional insulation materials. 
Regarding the concern about powdering, the core issue lies in the stability of the material structure.
High-performance composite aerogels are produced using a chemical bonding process, which strengthens the combination between the fibers and the aerogel framework. The nanostructure remains stable under various conditions such as high temperature (≤ 800℃), vibration, and friction, and there will be no particle detachment or powdering phenomenon. Poor-quality products are mostly pure aerogels or simply mixed fibers, without chemical bonding. After a period of use, they will lose powder, affecting the insulation effect and service life. In practical applications, aerogels have been widely used in fields such as aerospace, new energy vehicles, industrial pipelines, and kiln equipment. From the Mars exploration environment at -130℃ to the industrial high-temperature scenario of 1200℃, they can maintain stable performance without cracking or powdering problems, fully verifying their strong and durable characteristics.