Preparation of ZrO2 fiber membranes by electrospinning and application in SiO2 aerogel composite materials

To address the weak infrared extinction capability of silica aerogel composites at high temperatures, this study introduces an yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) fibrous membrane fabricated by electrospinning to suppress infrared radiation. This strategy effectively overcomes the limitation of weak infrared extinction at elevated temperatures and enhances the thermal insulation performance of the silica aerogel composites. After heat treatment at 900 °C, the as-prepared YSZ fibrous membrane exhibits a tetragonal crystalline phase, an average fiber diameter of 880 nm, and an infrared reflectance of 58%. By Incorporating three layers of the YSZ fibrous membrane into the silica aerogel composite, a thermal conductivity of 0.082 W/(m·K) is achieved at 1000 °C, corresponding to a 20.38% improvement in thermal insulation performance. The YSZ fibrous membrane effectively suppresses radiative heat transfer within the material, demonstrating great potential for practical applications.