Key Takeaways & Executive Findings
- •• • Ambient-pressure drying (APD) achieved only 8.9% shrinkage in ANF/CNT aerogel fibers, overcoming a key bottleneck of conventional freeze/supercritical drying and enabling scalable production. • • Thermal conductivity of ANF/CNT aerogel textiles is 33.8–40.4 mW/(m K), providing superior passive insulation across a wide temperature range from −196 to 400 °C, suitable for extreme environments. • • Synergistic passive insulation and active solar heating raised skin temperature by 5.9 °C, compared to 1.6 °C with passive insulation alone, demonstrating a 3.7-fold improvement in cold-weather performance. • • The incorporation of CNT and Ca2+ crosslinking strengthens the nanofiber network, enabling structural integrity during APD and yielding flexible, mechanically robust, and flame-retardant aerogel fibers for wearable applications.
Abstract
Aerogel fibers, featuring distinct porous architecture and fiber flexibility, have emerged as leading materials for personal thermal protection; however, complex drying processes and singular thermal insulation mechanisms limit their use in complex environments. Here, aramid nanofiber/carbon nanotube (ANF/CNT) aerogel fibers integrating passive thermal insulation and active solar heating were fabricated via wet-spinning and ambient-pressure drying (APD). The incorporation of CNT and Ca2+ generates abundant physical and chemical crosslinking points, strengthening the nanofiber network skeleton and reducing structural collapse during APD to only 8.9% shrinkage. The resulting ANF/CNT aerogel textiles exhibit low thermal conductivity of 33.8–40.4 mW/(m K) and thermal insulation capability from −196 to 400 °C. The photothermal effect of CNT enables active solar heating, effectively supplementing passive insulation and allowing survival in extremely cold environments. In real tests, the synergistic effect improved skin temperature by up to 5.9 °C, significantly higher than 1.6 °C from passive insulation alone. These ANF/CNT aerogel fibers combine flexibility, mechanical strength, and flame retardancy, demonstrating promising potential for smart, controllable personal thermal management applications.
1. Introduction
Personal thermal management demands materials that simultaneously provide passive insulation and adapt to dynamic environmental conditions. Conventional aerogel fibers, while offering ultra-low thermal conductivity, rely on energy-intensive freeze-drying or supercritical drying, which severely limits production scalability and mechanical robustness. Moreover, their insulation mechanism is static, failing to actively counteract extreme cold. These bottlenecks have hindered the translation of aerogel fibers into intelligent wearable systems.
This work addresses these challenges by employing aramid nanofibers (ANF) and carbon nanotubes (CNT) in a wet-spinning process followed by ambient-pressure drying. The strategic introduction of CNT and Ca2+ crosslinkers reinforces the nanofiber network, minimizing structural collapse during drying (only 8.9% shrinkage). The resulting aerogel fibers combine passive thermal insulation (33.8–40.4 mW/(m K)) with active solar heating via CNT photothermal conversion, enabling a synergistic temperature rise of 5.9 °C in real-world tests. This dual-functionality, coupled with flexibility and flame retardancy, positions ANF/CNT aerogel fibers as a scalable solution for next-generation personal thermal management.
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Hongli Cheng, Yajie Cheng, Jin Gao, Gaojie Han, Bing Zhou, Chuntai Liu, Yuezhan Feng, Changyu Shen (2026). Ambient-Pressure-Dried Aramid Aerogel Fibers with Carbon Nanotube Crosslinking for Integrated Thermal Insulation and Solar Heating Abilities. SCIENCE CHINA Materials. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40843-026-4124-x
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the maximum operating temperature range for the ANF/CNT aerogel fibers, and how does the presence of CNT affect thermal stability?
The ANF/CNT aerogel fibers demonstrate thermal insulation capability from −196 °C to 400 °C. The incorporation of CNT enhances the structural integrity via crosslinking, and the inherent thermal stability of aramid nanofibers ensures retention of properties up to 400 °C, as evidenced by the reported performance.
How does the 8.9% shrinkage during ambient-pressure drying compare to conventional drying methods, and what is the impact on mechanical properties?
The 8.9% shrinkage is significantly lower than typical values for ambient-pressure-dried aerogels, which often exceed 20%. This low shrinkage preserves the porous network and mechanical integrity, enabling the fibers to maintain flexibility and strength suitable for textile applications.
What is the specific photothermal conversion efficiency of the CNT in the aerogel fibers, and how does it translate to temperature rise under real sunlight?
While the paper does not report a specific photothermal conversion efficiency percentage, the real-world test showed a temperature increase of 5.9 °C under solar illumination, compared to 1.6 °C without active heating. This indicates effective photothermal conversion by CNT, sufficient to supplement passive insulation in cold environments.
How do the thermal conductivity values (33.8–40.4 mW/(m K)) compare to commercial insulation materials, and what are the implications for energy efficiency?
These values are comparable to or lower than many commercial insulation materials (e.g., expanded polystyrene ~30-40 mW/(m K)). The low thermal conductivity, combined with the ability to actively heat, offers superior energy efficiency for personal thermal management, potentially reducing heating costs in extreme conditions.
What are the scalability prospects of the wet-spinning and ambient-pressure drying process for industrial production?
Ambient-pressure drying eliminates the need for expensive freeze-drying or supercritical drying equipment, significantly reducing production costs and enabling continuous processing. The demonstrated low shrinkage and robust mechanical properties suggest that the process can be scaled up for mass production of aerogel fibers for commercial textiles.
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