Description of Business	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018
Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Description of Business	(1) Description of Business Nature of Business Aspen Aerogels, Inc. (the Company) is an aerogel technology company that designs, develops and manufactures innovative, high-performance aerogel insulation used primarily in the energy infrastructure and building materials markets. The Company also conducts research and development related to aerogel technology supported by funding from several agencies of the U.S. government and other institutions in the form of research and development contracts. The Company maintains its corporate offices in Northborough, Massachusetts. The Company has three wholly owned subsidiaries: Aspen Aerogels Rhode Island, LLC, Aspen Aerogels Germany, GmbH and Aspen Aerogels Georgia, LLC. On June 18, 2014, the Company completed the initial public offering (IPO) of its common stock. Liquidity During the year ended 2018, the Company incurred a net loss of $34.4 million, used $8.7 million of cash in operations and had a cash and cash equivalents balance of $3.3 million and $4.2 million of outstanding borrowings under its revolving line of credit (see note 7). After giving effect to the outstanding borrowings and letters of credit, the additional amount available to the Company at December 31, 2018 under the revolving line of credit was $10.3 million. The existing revolving line of credit matures on April 28, 2020. The Company is making investments to increase capacity at its existing manufacturing facility in East Providence, Rhode Island and to develop new technologies and business opportunities. The Company expects its existing cash balance and the amount anticipated to be available under the existing revolving line of credit will be sufficient to fund a portion of these investments. The Company plans to manage other capital expenditures and working capital balances to maintain the cash resources required to support current operating requirements and to complete the capacity expansion plan. The Company will need to supplement its cash balance and amounts available under its revolving line of credit with anticipated cash flows from operations, debt financings, customer prepayments, technology licensing agreements or equity financings to provide the capital required to complete the expansion of the existing manufacturing facility and to fund its strategic business initiatives.

Description of Business

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Organization Consolidation And Presentation Of Financial Statements [Abstract]

(1) Description of Business

Nature of Business

Aspen Aerogels, Inc. (the Company) is an aerogel technology company that designs, develops and manufactures innovative, high-performance aerogel insulation used primarily in the energy infrastructure and building materials markets. The Company also conducts research and development related to aerogel technology supported by funding from several agencies of the U.S. government and other institutions in the form of research and development contracts.

The Company maintains its corporate offices in Northborough, Massachusetts. The Company has three wholly owned subsidiaries: Aspen Aerogels Rhode Island, LLC, Aspen Aerogels Germany, GmbH and Aspen Aerogels Georgia, LLC.

On June 18, 2014, the Company completed the initial public offering (IPO) of its common stock.

Liquidity

During the year ended 2018, the Company incurred a net loss of $34.4 million, used $8.7 million of cash in operations and had a cash and cash equivalents balance of $3.3 million and $4.2 million of outstanding borrowings under its revolving line of credit (see note 7). After giving effect to the outstanding borrowings and letters of credit, the additional amount available to the Company at December 31, 2018 under the revolving line of credit was $10.3 million. The existing revolving line of credit matures on April 28, 2020.

The Company is making investments to increase capacity at its existing manufacturing facility in East Providence, Rhode Island and to develop new technologies and business opportunities. The Company expects its existing cash balance and the amount anticipated to be available under the existing revolving line of credit will be sufficient to fund a portion of these investments. The Company plans to manage other capital expenditures and working capital balances to maintain the cash resources required to support current operating requirements and to complete the capacity expansion plan.

The Company will need to supplement its cash balance and amounts available under its revolving line of credit with anticipated cash flows from operations, debt financings, customer prepayments, technology licensing agreements or equity financings to provide the capital required to complete the expansion of the existing manufacturing facility and to fund its strategic business initiatives.