Para-aramid fiber was fibrillated in a dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)/tetrabutylammonium fluoride (TBAF) solution at 80 °C. Physical gelation of the dispersion liquid occurred by cooling to 20 °C at varying rates of 0.5 to 2.8 °C/min. The solvent was then replaced with acetone and the gel was dried by supercritical CO2 to obtain an aerogel. The fibril diameter decreased from ∼40 nm to 20 nm using a TBAF/DMSO ratio of 1:22 to 2:11, respectively. The specific surface area (SSA) of aerogel reached 702 m2/g at a fibril diameter of 20 nm. Prepared aerogel fiber with a diameter of 536 μm had a translucent appearance, an SSA of 473 m2/g, and a low density of 0.067 g/cm3. It bent freely and repeatedly without deformation or breaking.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.