Electrospinner: Heat-confinement, water-resistance, and moisture-release electrospun membrane based on aerogel filler incorporation

Abstract

A novel electrospun membrane was studied by adding SiO2 aerogel fillers to nanofibers to produce membrane materials with excellent thermal insulation, water resistance and moisture release properties. This PVDF@SiO2 aerogel-filled membrane (AFIM) reduced thermal conductivity and improved moisture release capacity, with a surface temperature reduction of about 1.9°C and a water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) of 26.83 kg·m−2·d−1 compared with cotton samples.

Methods

Materials: Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), dimethylformamide (DMF), lithium chloride (LiCl) and silica (SiO2) aerogel particles were used.

Preparation of PVDF@SiO2 membrane: SiO2 aerogel fillers were ultrasonically treated in DMF, mixed with PVDF and LiCl, and stirred for 12 h to ensure uniformity.

Electrospinning process: Electrospinning was performed from a syringe containing 5 mL of spinning solution at a voltage of 25 kV, a collection distance of 15 cm, and a flow rate of 0.5 mL/h. Different mass ratios of SiO2 to PVDF (0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, and 40%) were tested.

Collected membranes: Membranes with dimensions of 20 × 15 × 0.005 cm were collected and labeled as AFIM-0 to AFIM-4 according to the SiO2 content.

Figure captions

Figure 1: Schematic diagrams of the structures of PVDF and SiO2, the fabrication of AFIMs, and the AFIMs with heat-sealing, waterproof, moisture-releasing, and flame-retardant properties are shown. Infrared thermographs of cotton and AFIM-3 samples are also shown.

Figure 2: SEM images at different scales and corresponding elemental mapping, diameter distribution of AFIM-3, FTIR spectra of AFIM-0 and AFIM-3 membranes, XRD patterns, XPS survey spectra, and high-resolution C1s and Si2P spectra of AFIM-3 are shown.

Conclusion

This study provides important insights into the development of future thermally regulating textiles designed to save energy and prevent moisture retention for a variety of challenging applications.

Electrospinning Nanofibers Article Source:

https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S2211285524010851