advanced materialsBackground
Fibers are a rich and diverse material, with natural fibers such as hair, wool, and cotton dating back to ancient times, while synthetic fibers such as polyester, nylon, and acrylic are now widely used. Its excellent weaveability and processability make it suitable for use in the fields of smart sensing, electromagnetic shielding, biological antimicrobial agents and thermal insulation. Modern fibers with novel structures and functions (e.g., hollow fibers, microfibers, and down fibers) are the preferred choice for insulating fabrics due to their high surface area and air retention within high interfiber fibers. These properties can exceed the performance limits of animal, plant, or non-porous fibers produced by traditional manufacturing methods. Compared to non-porous fibers, these innovative fibers have a unique pore structure that enhances heat retention. However, there are still challenges in achieving optimal insulation performance. Therefore, the development of aerogel fibers with high pore volume and low thermal conductivity is an ideal thermal regulation material for personal insulation and conditioning.
Aerogel is a material with a porous structure and a large surface area. In recent years, the emergence of aerogel fibers as ideal highly porous insulating fibers has led to a lot of research, resulting in the design and production of various aerogel fibers. Fabrics woven from aerogel fibers have excellent properties such as excellent breathability and thermal insulation. Despite extensive research, there are still challenges in achieving highly stable and scalable aerogel fiber fabrication with abundant nanopore structures.
In addition, aerogel fibers must meet the basic criteria for comfort and lightness in personal thermal management (PTM), while providing added value to the wearer by providing resistance to extreme environmental hazards. To meet these needs, the development of multifunctional aerogel fibers has been explored to meet the growing multifunctional needs such as flame retardancy, sensing, and environmental adaptation. However, designing functionalized, high-performance polymer aerogel fibers using common manufacturing methods remains a formidable challenge. A glimpse of the results
Recently, Wang Jin and others from the Suzhou Institute of Nanotechnology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences have cooperated with the team of Sun Zhengming and Zhang Peigen of Southeast University to make the latest progress in the development of wearable aerogel fiber fabrics with excellent thermal insulation. This paper proposes a general strategy for the creation of polymer aerogel fibers using cross-linked nanofiber building blocks. This method combines a controlled proton absorption gelling spinning and a heat-induced crosslinking process. As a proof of concept, a strong thermal stability (up to 650°C), high flame retardancy (limiting oxygen index 54.) was designed and synthesized2%) and extremely chemically resistant Zylon aerogel fibers. These fibers have a high porosity (98.).6%), high breaking strength (86 MPa) and low thermal conductivity (0036 w/mk)。These aerogel fibers can be knotted or woven into textiles, used in harsh environments (-196 400°C) and exhibit sensitive self-powered sensing capabilities. This method of developing aerogel fibers expands the range of applications for high-performance polymer fibers, which has great potential for the application of wearable smart protective fabrics in the future. The research results were published in Advanced Materials under the title "Robust and Flame-Retardant Zylon Aerogel Fibers for Wearable Thermal Insulation and Sensing in Harsh Environment".
**Reading guide
Figure 1Schematic diagram of the CPAGS-HIC strategy synthesis of HZAF and its thermal insulation and sensing applications.
Figure 2Optical and structural characterization of HZAF.
Figure 3Structure and characterization of HZAF.
Figure 4HZAF resistant to extreme conditions.
Figure 5Sensing and insulating properties of HZAFS fabrics.
Figure 6Different types of high-performance aerogel fibers were constructed by CPAGS strategy.
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