The concept of microporous insulation was originally developed in the 1940s. It was first designed to be employed in nuclear, space and aerospace applications because of its ability to outperform conventional insulation systems with less material and weight in less useable space. Initially considered to be too expensive across the board for use in more price sensitive commercial, industrial and automotive applications, new formulations and manufacturing processes developed by Thermo Dyne Corp. have produced alternate forms of the insulation and made it available to various other markets without substantially reducing the performance.