Superelastic, lightweight, and flame-retardant 3D fibrous sponge fabricated by one-step electrospinning for heat retention

Abstract

Health risks are more likely to occur in cold environments, making warm equipment highly in demand. Fluffy fibrous sponge obtained from direct electrospinning exhibited a great application prospect in heat retention fields but are often hampered by their weak mechanical stability and flammability used in high-temperature environments. How to create such materials having the robust mechanical property, flame retardancy and efficient thermal insulation simultaneously was a huge challenge. Herein, we report on a one-step method to manufacture superelastic and lightweight 3D fibrous sponge with antiflame function. The premise of this strategy is that polysulfone (PSU) can form a stable fluffy structure in a high-humidity environment, while polyurethane (PU) can absorb deformation energy caused by external forces. By adding OP-100A, the carbonization speed of PSU/PU fibrous sponge was increased and the antiflaming property was improved. Thanks to the polymer combination strategy, the fibrous sponge prepared has excellent tensile properties with the elongation at break reaching 160%, and unique elastic energy of compression with almost no plastic deformation after 100 compressions tests. Furthermore, the fibrous sponge also has obvious advantages in ultralight property, flame retardant property and heat retention property. The successful preparation of fibrous sponge opens a new way for the development of superelastic, lightweight, and flame-retardant heat retention materials.