Colorful aerogel fibers enabling functional textiles for thermal insulation and harmful-gas visualization

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Textile Engineering
• Chemical Engineering

Background:

• Intelligent protective clothing is crucial for worker safety in hazardous environments.
• Existing protective materials often lack integrated sensing and warning capabilities.
• There is a need for advanced textiles that combine thermal protection with real-time hazard detection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a multifunctional aerogel fiber for intelligent protective clothing.
• To integrate thermal insulation, hazardous gas detection, and visual warning functions into a single material.
• To create a comprehensive safety system for industrial and environmental monitoring.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of cellulose@polyethyleneimine aerogel fiber (CE@PEI-aerogel fiber) via amino-functionalization of cotton and wet-spinning.
• Characterization of the aerogel fiber's structure, thermal insulation, and dye uptake properties.
• Incorporation of responsive dyes for visual detection of toxic substances (e.g., acidic gases, ammonia, formaldehyde, acetone).

Main Results:

• The CE@PEI-aerogel fiber exhibits a 3D network structure with uniform nanopores.
• Exceptional thermal insulation with ultra-low thermal conductivity (29.5 mW/(m·K)).
• High dye uptake (95.95%) and fixation (77.68%) rates for reactive red using a salt-free dyeing process.
• Sensitive and rapid visual detection of toxic gases at ppm levels.
• Woven fabric demonstrates robust mechanical properties and integrated safety functions.

Conclusions:

• The developed CE@PEI-aerogel fiber offers a promising multifunctional material for intelligent protective clothing.
• This innovative fiber enables a comprehensive 'detection-protection-warning' system for enhanced industrial safety.
• The material demonstrates significant potential for applications in environmental monitoring and personal protective equipment.