Elastic and compressible Al₂O₃/ZrO₂/La₂O₃ nanofibrous membranes for firefighting protective clothing

Developing ceramic nanofibrous membranes for the thermal insulation layer of firefighting protective clothing is vital. However, previous ceramic nanofibrous membranes were brittle and easy to break during service in high-temperature environments. The lack of elastic and compressible properties has limited the high-end applications of ceramic nanofibrous membranes. In this work, elastic and compressible Al₂O₃/ZrO₂/La₂O₃ nanofibrous membranes were fabricated via sol-gel electrospinning and calcination in air at different temperatures. The as-fabricated Al₂O₃/ZrO₂/La₂O₃ nanofibrous membranes can maintain excellent elasticity and compressibility in the temperature ranging from -196 to 1400 °C. Moreover, they have low thermal conductivity and high working temperatures. These favorable characteristics make the Al₂O₃/ZrO₂/La₂O₃ nanofibrous membranes a promising candidate for the thermal insulation layer of firefighting protective clothing.