Aspen Aerogels Introduces 3 New Nanotechnology-Enabled Insulation Products At OTC '06


Designed for LNG & Oil Sands Applications

Northborough, Mass (MAY 1, 2006). Aspen Aerogels, the Massachusetts-based developer of nanotechnology-enabled aerogel insulation blankets, introduced three new products in its booth #1021 at the Offshore Technology Conference today in Houston, Texas. All are made using the proprietary nanotechnology of Aspen Aerogels, which provides the incredible insulating power of aerogels reliably and consistently in a flexible and easy to use blanket format. In Aspen's process, the aerogel is cast as a wet gel into a range of specially developed non-wovens. Upon drying, the resulting blanket retains all the thermal benefits of the aerogel but in a robust and flexible composite form.

For LNG applications, Aspen Aerogels is introducing Cryogel(TM) 2000 and Cryogel(TM) 6000 insulation blankets. Both products have a minimum use temperature of -200°C (-330°F) and a maximum usage temperature of 100°C (212°F). The products demonstrate a thermal conductivity (mean Temp 38° C, or 100° F) of 0.094 Btu-in/hr-ft2-°F (13.5 mW/m-K). Cryogel(TM) 2000 is offered in a 2 mm thick blanket and Cryogel(TM) 6000 is offered in a 6mm thick blanket. These products are designed especially for cryogenic pipelines, vessels, and equipment, including LNG ships, storage and transfer facilities. Studies conducted by Aspen Aerogels have shown that boil off rates can be cut by as much as 40% for LNG ships.

The company is also introducing Pyrogel® 6350 insulation blankets with a continuous use temperature range of -100°C to 350°C (-150°F to 660°F). Pyrogel® 6350 demonstrates a thermal conductivity (mean Temp 38° C, or 100° F) of 0.107 BtU-in/hr-ft2-°F (15.5 mW/m-K). The product is particularly well-suited for insulating pipelines in the Oil Sands, where it has already met with customer approval. "We already have a customer using Pyrogel® 6350 in the Oil Sands," said Marc Lebel, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Aspen Aerogels. "They are currently using it for high pressure steam pipes with process temperatures of 325°C." Pyrogel® 6350 provides a number of important advantages:

1. The product installs faster than traditional materials, resulting in time and labor cost savings.
2. Due to its very low thermal conductivity, far less material is required to complete a job thus saving logistics expense.
3. Due to the smaller profile of the aerogel-insulated pipes, they take up less space on the pipe racks. This gives the designer the opportunity to reduce the size of the pipe rack or use the additional space for cable trays, walkways or for future expansion projects.

In addition to these advantages, Aspen's products are inherently hydrophobic. They can be exposed to water for extended periods of time without fear of damaging the product's outstanding thermal properties. They are resistant to compression which means that one can walk on the insulated pipe without worry of damaging the aerogel. They also provide outstanding fire protection properties. This feature is especially important in hydrocarbon process plants.

All three products can be reviewed on Aspen Aerogels web site at aerogel.com/products/overview.html and brings the total number of products offered by the company to nine (9).

About Aspen Aerogels, Inc.

Headquartered in Northborough, MA, USA, Aspen Aerogels supplies nanotechnology-enabled aerogel products with insulating properties that outperform traditional materials by two to eight times. Unlike other aerogel material providers, Aspen Aerogels' solutions deliver the thermal and acoustic performance of aerogels in a ready-to-use blanket infused with silica nanostructures. This blanket format makes it easy for Aspen customers to conserve energy and save money in oil and gas recovery, LNG shipping and storage, apparel, military, aerospace and energy-related applications. In addition, Aspen is actively developing applications in the building/construction, automotive and fuel cell markets.

OTC 2006: Booth 1021

Press Contacts
North & South America
John Miller
john@brandrealitygroup.com
+1 203.750.8889
Mobile +1 610.639.5860

Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia
Martha de Monclin
martha@brandrealitygroup.com
+33 1 34 74 54 62

Aspen Aerogels
www.aerogel.com
508-691-1111
info@aerogel.com

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