Low-cost preparation and characterization of high-purity mullite nanofibrous membranes

Among the family of high-quality fiber materials, mullite fiber membrane is a promising one that possesses abilities of both the thermal resistance and oxidation resistance under high temperature. High-purity mullite nanofibrous membranes were prepared by electrospinning method with low-cost aluminum chloride hexahydrate (AC) as the aluminum source. The effects of sintering temperature and AC content on the phase structure, microstructure, thermal and mechanical properties of the mullite nanofibrous membranes were investigated. The results show that the sintering temperature as low as 1000 °C is the very appropriate temperature for obtaining the high-purity mullite nanofibers with smooth surface. The minimum thermal conductivity of 0.029 W m−1 K−1 and maximum tensile strength of 6.11 MPa are gained from the mullite nanofibrous membranes with AC content of 2 mmol. The mullite nanofibrous membranes with excellent properties can be selected as an ideal candidate for thermal insulation and reinforced applications.