SEAgel (Safe Emulsion Agar gel) is one of a class of high-tech foam materials known as aerogels.
After it is freeze-dried to remove the water, it is left as a honeycomb of dried agar filled with air, with cell sizes two to three micrometers (2-3 μm) in diameter.
Laboratory scientists use SEAgel as targets for x-ray laser experiments because it can be doped with other materials, such as selenium.
SEAgel could also be used as food packaging or the encapsulating material of timed-release medical pills, as it is safe to digest.
SEAgel could also replace balsa wood, to insulate supertankers, and to provide sound damping in high-speed trains.