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Peer-reviewedCC BYScientific Reports

Acoustic wave speed in aerogels across material classes: density scaling from theory and experiments

  • Ameya Rege1
  • Beatriz Merillas2
  • Max Hopp-Zinke3
  • Christian Scherdel4
  • Petra Herman5
  • Marina Schwan3
  • Nina H. Borzecka3
  • József Kalmár5
  • Atul Bhaskar6
6 affiliations
  1. 1Department of Mechanics of Solids, Surfaces & Systems, University of Twente
  2. 2Cellular Materials Laboratory (CellMat), Faculty of Science, University of Valladolid
  3. 3Institute for Frontier Materials on Earth and in Space, German Aerospace Center (DLR)
  4. 4Center for Applied Energy Research
  5. 5HUN-REN-DE Mechanisms of Complex Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Chemical Reactions Research Group, Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, University of Debrecen
  6. 6Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Southampton
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Abstract

Understanding the propagation of elastic waves in ultra-light porous solids is essential for linking their microstructure to macroscopic properties and mechanical performance. In this work, we present first an experimental study of longitudinal sound velocity in aerogels spanning a wide range of chemical structures and mesoscopic architectures, including polyurethane, polylactic acid, polyimide, flexible organo-silica, classical silica, and phenolic (resorcinol-formaldehyde) aerogels. Compression wave velocities were measured and correlated with bulk density to establish scaling relations across aerogel material families. While classical elasticity implies direct coupling between sound velocity in isotropic solids and elastic moduli, we then examine the extent to which such continuum relations remain valid in aerogels, whose structure is governed by hierarchical porosity, nanoscale connectivity, and bending-dominated network mechanics. Finally, we suggest measuring the Young modulus of aerogels from the acoustic wave speed as a non-destructive testing alternative.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{rege2026acoustic,
  title = {{Acoustic wave speed in aerogels across material classes: density scaling from theory and experiments}},
  author = {Ameya Rege and Beatriz Merillas and Max Hopp-Zinke and Christian Scherdel and Petra Herman and Marina Schwan and Nina H. Borzecka and József Kalmár and Atul Bhaskar},
  journal = {Scientific Reports},
  year = {2026},
  month = jul,
  doi = {10.1038/s41598-026-62859-8},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-62859-8},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Acoustic wave speed in aerogels across material classes: density scaling from theory and experiments
AU  - Ameya Rege
AU  - Beatriz Merillas
AU  - Max Hopp-Zinke
AU  - Christian Scherdel
AU  - Petra Herman
AU  - Marina Schwan
AU  - Nina H. Borzecka
AU  - József Kalmár
AU  - Atul Bhaskar
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/07/01
JO  - Scientific Reports
DO  - 10.1038/s41598-026-62859-8
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-62859-8
AB  - Understanding the propagation of elastic waves in ultra-light porous solids is essential for linking their microstructure to macroscopic properties and mechanical performance. In this work, we present first an experimental study of longitudinal sound velocity in aerogels spanning a wide range of chemical structures and mesoscopic architectures, including polyurethane, polylactic acid, polyimide, flexible organo-silica, classical silica, and phenolic (resorcinol-formaldehyde) aerogels. Compression wave velocities were measured and correlated with bulk density to establish scaling relations across aerogel material families. While classical elasticity implies direct coupling between sound velocity in isotropic solids and elastic moduli, we then examine the extent to which such continuum relations remain valid in aerogels, whose structure is governed by hierarchical porosity, nanoscale connectivity, and bending-dominated network mechanics. Finally, we suggest measuring the Young modulus of aerogels from the acoustic wave speed as a non-destructive testing alternative.
SN  - 2045-2322
ER  -