Dissolving and Regeneration of meta-Aramid Paper: Converting Loose Structure into Consolidated Networks with Enhanced Mechanical and Insulation Properties

Molecular dynamics study on structural modulation and dyeing property optimization of meta-aramid in a DMSO/electrolyte system

Meta-aramid (PMIA) fabrics are typically problematic to dye owing to their extremely crystalline structure and high compactness. Herein, Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and electrolyte as hydrogen bond regulators were selected to improve the dyeability of PIMA dyed with cationic dyes. The PMIA shows both high dyeing and mechanical properties as a result of the synergistic effect of DMSO and electrolyte in the system, which destructs hydrogen bonding networks and increase interaction energy density between dye molecules and PMIA, confirmed by a series of characterization and molecular dynamics simulations. In the DMSO/NaCl/PMIA system, while maintaining excellent mechanical (breaking strength and elongation at break of 24.6Mpa and 37.6 %, respectively) and thermal properties, PMIA not only obtained the best dyeability, increasing the Dye uptake from 20 % to 70.62 % and the K/S value from 2.92 to 18.02, but also achieved excellent colour fastness (fastness to dry and wet rubbing, fastness to light, and fastness to washing of 4-5, 3-4, 3-4 and 4-5, respectively). Simulated results and experimental data verified that the DMSO/NaCl system optimally synergizes hydrogen bond regulation for PMIA and achieves the best dyeing effects for cationic dyes, manifesting its great potential in the PMIA wearability area.

Ultralong Nanowires of Cadmium Phosphate Hydroxide Synthesized Using a Cadmium Oleate Precursor Hydrothermal Method and Sulfidation Conversion to Ultralong CdS Nanowires

Ultralong nanowires with ultrahigh aspect ratios exhibit high flexibility, and they are promising for applications in various fields. Herein, a cadmium oleate precursor hydrothermal method is developed for the synthesis of ultralong nanowires of cadmium phosphate hydroxide. In this method, water-soluble cadmium salt is used as the cadmium source, water-soluble phosphate is used as the phosphorus source, and sodium oleate is adopted as a reactant to form cadmium oleate precursor and as a structure-directing agent. By using this method, ultralong nanowires of cadmium phosphate hydroxide are successfully synthesized using CdCl2, sodium oleate, and NaH2PO4 as reactants in an aqueous solution by hydrothermal treatment at 180 °C for 24 h. In addition, a new type of flexible fire-resistant inorganic paper with good electrical insulation performance is fabricated using ultralong nanowires of cadmium phosphate hydroxide. As an example of the extended application of this synthetic method, ultralong nanowires of cadmium phosphate hydroxide can be converted to ultralong CdS nanowires through a convenient sulfidation reaction. In this way, ultralong CdS nanowires are successfully synthesized by simple sulfidation of ultralong nanowires of cadmium phosphate hydroxide under mild conditions. The as-prepared ultralong nanowires of cadmium phosphate hydroxide are promising for applications as the precursors and templates for synthesizing other inorganic ultralong nanowires and have wide applications in various fields.

An all-natural, bioinspired, biodegradable electrical insulating composite based on lignocellulose and mica tailings

The rapid development of modern electrical engineering puts forward urgent demand for high-performance electrical insulating materials. In this study, inspired by the layered structure of natural nacre, we present a novel biomimetic composite insulating film (referred to as M/C film) that is derived from agricultural waste corncobs and industrial waste mica tailings through a sol-gel-film transformation process. The novel insulating film has excellent tensile strength (94 MPa), high dielectric strength (68 kV mm-1), low dielectric loss, good heat resistance (T0 = 235 °C), and excellent UV shielding properties. Meanwhile, the M/C film presents environmental impacts much lower than those petrochemical-based plastic film as it can be 100 % recycled in a closed-loop recycling process and easily biodegraded in the environment (lignocellulose goes back to the carbon cycle and the mica return to the geological cycle). It is a potential alternative for petrochemical plastics and provides a possible way to utilize agricultural waste and mica tailings.

Self-Reinforced Doping Strategy in the Multiscale PMIA Paper for High Mechanical Properties and Insulating Performance

The poly(m-phenylene isophthalamide) (PMIA) paper has attracted extensive interests due to its ultrahigh mechanical properties as an ideal protective material for anti-impact damage applications. In the pursuit of additional properties, composites based on the PMIA matrix and various fillers are widely explored. However, additional improvements are frequently obtained at the expense of mechanical properties because of the serious interfacial compatibility brought by different components. In this study, a self-reinforced doping strategy is proposed by combining microscale PMIA fibers as the fillers and nanoscale PMIA fibers as the matrix to form a micronano paper. Without the limitation of the interfacial compatibility issues, the nanofibers are tightly aligned and adhered to the microfibers, enabling the in situ generation of hydrogen bonds at the interfaces. A compact interfacial structure is thus constructed with reduced porosity on the surface. It indicates that the microfibers have a positive impact on the improvement of mechanical properties. In our optimized sample with 5 wt % microfibers, the elastic modulus, tensile strength, and elongation are 1530 MPa, 24.8 MPa, and 5.3%, respectively, which are 142, 49.4, and 65% higher than those of the pristine nano-PMIA paper. In addition, the insulating performance is also improved, facilitating its further application extended to broad fields.

Study on cellulose nanofibers/aramid fibers lithium-ion battery separators by the heterogeneous preparation method

In this study, a heat-resistant and high-wettability lithium-ion batteries separator (PI-CPM-PI) composed of cellulose nanofibers (CNF) and aramid fibers (PMIA chopped fiber/PPTA pulp) with the reinforced concrete structure was fabricated via a traditional heterogeneous paper-making process. CNF played crucial roles in optimizing the pore structure and improving the wettability of PI-CPM-PI separator. The effects of composition on separator properties were investigated and the results indicated that the optimal compositions were 0.5 wt% CNF, 0.5 wt% PMIA chopped fiber/PPTA pulp (ratio of 5:5), 0.05 wt% diatomite and 1.5 wt% polyimide. Relevant tests demonstrated that the performance advantages of PI-CPM-PI separators were exhibited at the wettability and thermal stability compared to the commercial separator (PP). Additionally, batteries assembled with PI-CPM-PI separators showed excellent electrochemical and cycling performance (ionic conductivity of 1.041 mS.cm^-1, the first discharge capacity of 158.2 mAh.g^-1 at 0.2C and capacity retention ratio of 99.76 % after 100 cycles).

Processing Nomex Nanofibers by Ionic Solution Blow-Spinning for Efficient High-Temperature Exhausts Treatment

Hard-to-dissolve polymers provide next-generation alternatives for high-performance filter materials owing to their intrinsically high chemical stability, superior mechanical performance, and excellent high-temperature resistance. However, the mass production of hard-to-dissolve nanofibers still remains a critical challenge. A simple, scalable, and low-cost ionic solution blow-spinning method has herein been provided for the large-scale preparation of hard-to-dissolve Nomex polymeric nanofibers with an average diameter of nearly 100 nm. After rapidly dissolving Nomex microfibers in the lithium chloride/dimethylacetamide (LiCl/DMAc) solution system, the conductive solution can be stably and conductivity-independently processed into nanofibers. The method optimizes electrospinning and avoids spinnability degradation and potential safety hazards caused by high electrical conductivity. Owing to nanofibrous structure and high dipole moment, Nomex nanofibrous filters show a stable high filtration efficiency of 99.92% for PM_0.3 with a low areal density of 4.6 g m^-2, as well as a low-pressure drop of 189.47 Pa. Moreover, the flame-retardant filter can work at 250 °C and 280 °C for a long and short time without shrinking or burning, respectively, exhibiting a high filtration efficiency of 99.50% for PM_0.3-10.0. The outstanding properties and low cost enable the efficient capture of PM from various high-temperature exhausts, making Nomex nanofibrous membrane an even more ideal industrial-grade air filter than polypropylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, polyimide, and ceramic nanofibrous filters.

GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Hard-to-dissolve nanofibers provide alternatives for high-efficiency and low-resistant air filtration but are limited by the universality and economics of fabrication methods. A scalable and efficient ionic solution blow-spinning strategy has herein been proposed in preparing hard-to-dissolve nanofibrous filters.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42765-022-00231-x.

Large-Scale Production of Rectorite Nanosheets and Their Co-Assembly with Aramid Nanofibers for High-Performance Electrical Insulating Nanopapers

Compared with raw rectorite microplatelets (RMs), rectorite nanosheets (RNs) have considerably greater application prospects in the preparation of advanced composite materials because of their larger aspect ratio, higher surface reactivity, and intrinsically superior mechanical and physical properties. However, the difficulty in the efficient preparation of RNs significantly limits their large-scale applications. Here, a scalable poly(vinylpyrrolidone)-assisted stirring approach is developed to prepare ultrathin RNs from the abundant natural RMs. A higher production rate (≈0.675 g h^-1 ) is achieved compared with that of most other nanosheets. Additionally, instead of using conventional time- and energy-consuming high-speed centrifugation, an efficient poly(dienedimethylammonium chloride)-assisted sedimentation strategy is proposed here to rapidly separate the exfoliated RNs from the RN dispersion. Then, the RNs are co-assembled with aramid nanofibers (ANFs) into large-scale nacre-mimetic ANF-RN nanopapers with considerably enhanced mechanical, electrical insulating, and high-temperature-resistant properties compared with pure ANF nanopapers and ANF-RM micropapers. Moreover, these properties are superior to those of previously reported ANF-based nanopapers and commercial insulating micropapers.

Mechanically Strong Electrically Insulated Nanopapers with High UV Resistance Derived from Aramid Nanofibers and Cellulose Nanofibrils

Aramid nanofibers (ANFs) have great potential for civil and military applications due to their remarkable mechanical modulus, excellent chemical reliability, and superior thermostability. Unfortunately, the weak combination of neighboring ANFs limits the mechanical properties of ANF-based materials owing to their inherent rigidity and chemical inertness. Herein, high-performance nanopapers are fabricated by introducing a tiny amount of cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) to serve as reinforcing blocks via vacuum filtration. As a result of the formation of nanosized building blocks and hydrogen-bonding interaction of CNFs, the resultant ANF/CNF nanopaper yields a record-high tensile strength (406.43 ± 16.93 MPa) and toughness (86.13 ± 5.22 MJ m^-3), which are 1.8 and 4.3 times higher than those of the pure ANF nanopaper, respectively. When normalized by weight, the specific tensile strength of the nanopaper is as high as 307.90 MPa·g^-1·cm³, which is even significantly superior to that of titanium alloys (257 MPa·g^-1·cm³). The ANF/CNF nanopaper also possesses excellent dielectric strength (53.42 kV mm^-1), superior UV-shielding performance (≥99.999% absorption for ultraviolet radiation), and a favorable thermostability (T_onset = 530 °C). This study proposes a new design strategy for developing ultrathin ANF-based nanopapers combined with high reliability and thermostability for application in high-end electrical insulation fields, such as 5G communication, wearable electronics, and artificial intelligence.