An Efficient Strategy for Reinforcing Flexible Ceramic Membranes

Herein, we present a facile reinforcement method for the large-scale fabrication of highly flexible, mechanically stable, temperature-resistant ceramic lightweight membranes based on the cross-linked assembly of zirconia–silica (ZrO₂–SiO₂) nanofibrous and montmorillonite (MMT) nanosheets through electrospinning and a subsequent calcination process. The resulting MMT@ZrO₂–SiO₂ membranes exhibit high flexibility with a bending rigidity of 0.2 cN mm^–1, robust mechanical performance with a tensile strength of up to 1.83 MPa, robust fire resistance, and temperature-invariant mechanical stability from −196 to 1000 °C. The thermal superinsulation with a thermal conductivity as low as 0.026 W m^–1 K^–1 and the improved mechanical strength can be attributed to the cross-linked interfacial interaction between the ZrO₂–SiO₂ nanofibers and the MMT nanosheets. Additionally, a firefighter uniform with MMT@ZrO₂–SiO₂ membranes inside features a superior thermal protective property up to the A2 level (combined flame and radiant exposure) and an excellent fire resistance of up to 1000 °C, which is ideal for next-generation firefighter uniform manufacturing.