Self-assembled clay films with a platelet–void multilayered nanostructure and flame-blocking properties

Abstract

Polymeric composite films with a high loading of nano-size silicates can hardly meet the increasingly stringent fireproof and smoke-free requirements during burning. Thus, it is desirable to prepare pure clay films that can block air, heat, and flame. Here we report an organic-free clay film capable of both flame- and heat-shielding. The film was prepared from the self-assembly of nanometer-thick silicate platelets derived from the exfoliation of natural clays. The self-assembled film has a highly regular multilayered nanostructure over a large area and an appreciable volume of air entrapped in between. The combination of regular structure and substantial air volume contributes to the low thermal conductivity and flame blocking property of the film. It was demonstrated that the film can shield flame over hour duration and prevent temperature rising on the backside of film. This remarkable clay film has a myriad of uses including gas barrier, heat insulator, and fireproof devices.

Large-scale, thick, self-assembled, nacre-mimetic brick-walls as fire barrier coatings on textiles

“…The combination of tailored polymers with inorganic nanoparticles, e.g. nanoclays14151617181920212223 or carbon nanotubes24252627, glass fabric28, polyhedral silsesquioxanes (POSS)2930, layered double hydroxides31323334, providing oxygen barrier properties and mechanical strength, preventing dripping of hot, molten plastics, and enabling an intumescent, self-expanding foam-like heat barrier behavior is a most promising approach for fire-retardant coating materials35. Aiming at a quantitative understanding in such materials requires approaches towards structurally well-defined surface coatings, in which benefits in the fire behavior can explicitly be linked to defined composition and architecture.…”

Multifaceted Role of Clay Minerals in Pharmaceuticals

“…Furthermore, the layered structure could be totally exfoliated and structurally randomized into individual silicate platelets using different mechanisms, such as the phase inversion of amphiphilic copolymer emulsifiers and phase transitions that involve zigzag Mannich polyamines. Different intercalation and exfoliation strategies help in developing detailed understanding of clay chemistry, thus exploring wider horizons of clay applications [17]. …”

In Situ SAXS Measurement and Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Magnetic Alignment of Hexagonal LLC Nanostructures

“…The alignment of nanostructures is of increasing research interest and importance to applications as ordered nanostructures will provide unprecedented benefits in tissue engineering [1,2], drug delivery [3,4], gas permeation [5], and water purification [6,7]. Lyotropic liquid crystals (LLCs) can self-assemble and form unique continuous hexagonal nanostructures that can be used as templates to synthesize organic [8,9] and inorganic [8,10] nanomaterials of distinctive properties.…”