posted on 2021-11-03, 12:05authored byXue Mao, Jie Hong, Yue-Xia Wu, Qing Zhang, Jia Liu, Li Zhao, Hai-Hong Li, Yao-Yu Wang, Kun Zhang
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.