Highly flexible, erosion resistant and nitrogen doped hollow SiC fibrous mats for high temperature thermal insulators†
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Abstract
Thermally stable and chemical resistant silicon carbide (SiC) fibrous mats have drawn much attention as a high-temperature thermal insulator in top end equipment and technology. Herein, novel free-standing, flexible, acid/alkali-resistant and nitrogen doped (N-doped) hollow SiC fibrous mats bearing ultralow thermal conductivity are reported. The materials were fabricated via a three-step process: the preparation of core–shell fibers from polymeric precursors by co-axial electrospinning, the thermal or electron beam irradiation curing process and pyrolysis process. The as-obtained continuous fibers manifested an oval-shape hollow structure and the thickness of the cavity wall was approximately 1.5 μm. The crystal pattern was obtained after pyrolysis over 1300 °C under a nitrogen atmosphere. The morphology, composition, curing and formation mechanisms of N-containing hollow SiC fibers with texture and porous surfaces were elaborately analysed. These facilely fabricated N-doped hollow SiC fibrous mats possess good flexibility, noninflammability, high thermal stability, erosion resistance, light weight (0.218 g cm−3) and low thermal conductivity at high temperature (0.039 W m−1 K−1), suggesting promising application as a high temperature thermal insulator.
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