[AFreeBird]

Does the material have any environmental weaknesses (temperature, UV light, ozone or other forms of chemical attack)?

Baughman is excited about another property of these muscles: their ability to withstand extreme temperatures. They keep their properties down to 80 K (-193ºC) and up to 1900 K (1627ºC), and Baughman sees no reason why these temperatures need be the limits — the reported temperature range was restricted only by their ability to make measurements in those conditions, he says.

Here's some aerogel at work. Neat stuff. Not the carbon nanotube stuff, but the original version, invented in some guys kitchen (IIRC) back in the 30's.

[Myrddin]

Better than asbestos in that application. I like the temperature ranges too. It would be an ideal element of an electro-mechanical actuator with a broad temperature operating range...likely better than the other materials in the actuator. Very nice stuff.