Extrusion 3D printing of carbon nanotube-assembled carbon aerogel nanocomposites with high electrical conductivity

Carbon nanotubes(CNTs)with high aspect ratio and excellent electrical conduction offer huge functional improvements for current carbon aerogels.However,there remains a major challenge for achieving the on-demand shaping of carbon aerogels with tailored micro-nano structural textures and geometric features.Herein,a facile extrusion 3D printing strategy has been proposed for fabricating CNT-assembled carbon(CNT/C)aerogel nanocomposites through the extrusion printing of pseudoplastic carbomer-based inks,in which the stable dispersion of CNT nanofibers has been achieved relying on the high viscosity of carbomer microgels.After extrusion printing,the chemical solidification through polymerizing RF sols enables 3D-printed aerogel nanocomposites to display high shape fidelity in macroscopic geometries.Benefiting from the micro-nano scale assembly of CNT nanofiber networks and carbon nanoparticle networks in composite phases,3D-printed CNT/C aerogels exhibit enhanced mechanical strength(fracture strength,0.79 MPa)and typical porous structure characteristics,including low density(0.220 g cm^(-3)),high surface area(298.4 m^(2)g^(-1)),and concentrated pore diameter distribution(~32.8nm).More importantly,CNT nanofibers provide an efficient electron transport pathway,imparting 3D-printed CNT/C aerogel composites with a high electrical conductivity of 1.49 S cm^(-1).Our work would offer feasible guidelines for the design and fabrication of shape-dominated functional materials by additive manufacturing.

氧化物气凝胶高温红外改性研究

氧化物气凝胶是一类具有超低热导率的新型纳米多孔材料,在航空航天等高温隔热领域具有广阔的应用前景。然而目前常见的氧化硅、氧化铝等氧化物气凝胶受材料/结构单元固有性质的限制,其通常具有红外透明性,而高温下辐射传热占据主导地位,大量红外辐射会透过气凝胶,热导率急剧攀升,导致其高温隔热性能较差,因此需要对其进行高温红外改性,从而满足更高的隔热性能需求。本文综述了近年来添加遮光剂、纤维及调整气凝胶的结构/形貌在提高氧化物气凝胶高温隔热性能方面的研究进展,并对未来研究方向进行展望。

基于水性气相二氧化硅浆料制备柔性二氧化硅气凝胶复合毡

二氧化硅气凝胶由于其低导热率在隔热应用方面具有巨大的潜力.然而,它们通常具有较差的机械性能,需要在保持低热导率的同时增强机械性能.本研究以商业化气相二氧化硅和甲基三甲氧基硅烷为硅源,并以水和乙醇为溶剂形成浆料.基于此,二氧化硅气凝胶块体(SAMs)可通过常压干燥进行制备,且无需额外的表面改性或溶剂置换.制备的SAMs保持了典型的纳米孔结构,具有低密度(0.24 g cm^(-3))、收缩率(4%)和热导率(0.046 W m^(-1)K^(-1)).通过辊压将浆料浸渍到纤维毡中,并通过浆料热固化和常压干燥制备出二氧化硅气凝胶毡(SABs).制备的SABs具有良好的柔韧性和机械性能,便于安装和隔热应用,并显著减少了生产周期和成本.此外,基于SAMs的纳米孔结构和低收缩率,通过调控遮光剂的粒径和质量分数进一步降低了SABs的高温热导率,优化后的SABs在800℃的热导率低至0.054 W m^(-1)K^(-1).

Facile preparation of low shrinkage polybenzoxazine aerogels for high efficiency thermal insulation

High performance thermal insulation materials are urgently demanded for energy saving and thermal protection applications.Organic aerogels are considered as promising and highly efficient thermal insulation materials,but high shrinkage has been a major obstacle to limit their development and application.Herein,by a co-polymerization of formaldehyde(F)and benzoxazine prepolymers,polybenzoxazine with increased crosslink density and thus enhanced gel strength was formed,leading to low shrinkage polybenzoxazine(PBOF)aerogels with hierarchical micro/nanostructures.The hierarchical porous nanoskeleton of PBOF aerogels,composed of stacked thick-united spherical nanoparticles,was formed due to the different solubility of the reactants in N,N-dimethylformamide and F aqueous solution.Benefitting from the low shrinkage(13.22%,exceeding 60%reduction),the PBOF aerogels exhibit a low thermal conductivity of 0.0397 W m^(−1)K^(−1)at room temperature and outstanding thermal protection ability at high temperature.A 13 mm thick sample could resist a butane flame of 1300°C for 90 s,and the hand was not burn when touching the back.This strategy enables PBOF aerogels with a new perspective for their applications in civil and military fields.

超轻纳米纤维气凝胶的制备及其应用

超轻纳米纤维气凝胶是一种以一维纳米纤维为基本构筑单元的新型气凝胶材料,相比于传统气凝胶,其不仅具有更高的孔隙率和更低的密度,还拥有更优异的机械性能和理化性质,因此该材料的先进制备技术和在新兴领域的创新性应用是近年来超轻气凝胶领域的研究热点。本文结合国内外研究现状,按照材料体系分类系统综述了超轻纤维气凝胶的制备方法、结构特点以及在隔热、吸附、电化学、传感和生物医学等领域的重要应用,提出了现阶段该材料面临的一些挑战,并展望了其在未来的发展方向。