Scalable Fabrication of High-Performance Ceramic Fiber Aerogels for Enhanced Thermal and Mechanical Applications

Ceramic fiber sponge aerogels are known for their excellent fireproofing and thermal insulation capabilities. However, they have limited mechanical strength and scalability due to the high costs and discontinuous nature of existing fabrication methods. Additionally, they fail to meet the dual demands of both high thermal insulation and also mechanical resilience especially when exposed to extreme conditions such as thermal runaway in battery packs. However, it is essential to overcome these limitations to advance safety in many applications such as electric vehicle batteries and industrial insulation. To this account, recent study published in ACS Nano Journal and conducted by Yan Feng, Yongshi Guo, Xinyu Li, Liang Zhang and led by Professor Jianhua Yan from the Shanghai Frontier Science Research Center for Advanced Textiles- College of Textiles at Donghua University, the researchers developed a new efficient, scalable, and cost-effective method for producing ceramic aerogels with the desirable enhanced properties. Their innovative approach used a water-based electrospinning technique paves the way for overcoming these barriers.

The research team developed the dual micronano fiber network structure with the electrospinning process enabled the production of long silica-based microfibers and shorter alumina-based nanofibers. These fibers were interwoven into a sponge-like architecture. The authors found that the microfibers provided a robust structural skeleton while the nanofibers served as fillers improve the thermal insulation capacity. The new dual-fiber design resulted in an aerogel with a porosity greater than 99.8% which is a key factor in its low density and low thermal conductivity. This designed structure allowed the aerogels to outperform traditional materials in both heat resistance and mechanical flexibility. In their experiments, the authors observed that the aerogels have impressive resilience with an endurance to compression stress up to 21.15 kPa at 80% strain and rebounded to nearly their original shape after being compressed. They also tested the material’s durability over repeated cycles of compression and found minimal degradation in performance after over 100 cycles which confirmed long-term mechanical stability which make it suitable for applications that requires repetitive stress such as in battery thermal management systems. Afterward, the team performed thermal tests and the aerogels demonstrated superior insulation properties and found that when exposed to temperatures above 1000°C, they successfully prevented heat propagation which is a critical factor for managing thermal runaway in lithium-ion batteries. Moreover, the researchers tested the new material’s ability to block thermal runaway by placing the aerogels between battery cells undergoing catastrophic thermal events and showed that the aerogels significantly delayed the spread of heat to adjacent cells and by this reduced the risk of fire or explosion. That particular experiment in our opinion is important because it highlighted the aerogels’ potential in improving the safety of battery packs, especially in electric vehicles. Additionally, the authors examined the effects of heat treatment on the aerogels and subjected the materials to varying calcination temperatures and observed improvements in both mechanical strength and thermal insulation as the temperature increased. For instance, at 1300°C, the aerogels achieved their optimal properties with a dense fiber structure which contribute to better heat resistance and compression strength. Such calcination process further confirmed that the aerogels could maintain their structural integrity and insulating capabilities even under extreme conditions. Another important experiment in their ACS Nano study involved assessing the aerogels’ fireproofing ability where the team placed the material in a high-temperature flame and measured its surface temperature and structural integrity. They found that even after prolonged exposure to flames exceeding 1300°C, the aerogels maintained their shape and hadminimal damage. This resilience under intense heat demonstrated that the material could provide long-lasting protection in fire-prone environments and we think it make it excellent candidate for applications such as building insulation and protective gear. Throughout their well-designed experimental process, the authors consistently found that the dual micronano fiber network was central to the material’s superior performance. The interlocking long silica fibers and short alumina fibers created a bird-nest-like structure that provided both strength and flexibility. This innovative design not only solved the issue of balancing mechanical and thermal properties but also enabled rapid, scalable production through electrospinning.

In conclusion, Professor Jianhua Yan and colleagues successfully addressed long-standing challenges in the fabrication of ceramic fiber aerogels with their innovative approach and the development of commercially scalable, cost-effective electrospinning method which is expected to open the door for large-scale production of aerogels with improved thermomechanical properties. These reported results have substantial implications for industries requiring advanced thermal management solutions, such as electric vehicle batteries, aerospace, and industrial insulation. For instance, the new material’s ability to prevent thermal runaway in lithium-ion batteries can significantly improve safety in electric vehicles which reduces the risk of fires. Additionally, the use of water-based electrospinning has the important advantage of reducing environmental impact as well as lowers production costs which making these novel aerogels more accessible for widespread commercial adoption.  We believe the dual micronano fiber network designed by Professor Jianhua Yan and scholars at Donghua University is indeed a novel structural solution that sets a new standard for aerogel development and pave the way for further research and advancement into multifunctional aerogels that can address diverse and complex industrial challenges from fire safety to energy efficiency.