Ultra-High Radial Elastic Aerogel Fibers for Thermal Insulation Textile

Abstract

When nanoporous aerogels with excellent thermal insulation performance are processed into 1D fibers, they have great potential for application in the field of personal thermal management. However, coping with the impact of external forces, especially radial extrusion, and maintaining the macro morphology and microstructure of aerogels during use are remaining issues. To address these challenges, this study proposes a method that uses ultrafine and ultra-highly entangled bacterial cellulose nanofibers as the basis to achieve high radial elasticity by forming an isomorphic coating of rigid silica on the soft gel skeleton of aerogel fibers. The obtained aerogel fibers can achieve an elastic recovery of 88% over 50 compression cycles under 90% strain, and they can be knotted, woven into textiles, and are washable. This strategy improves the radial compression resistance of aerogel fibers, providing rich possibilities for the development of aerogel fibers with excellent mechanical properties.