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Title: Lightweight, Thermally Insulating, Fire‐Proof Graphite‐Cellulose Foam
Abstract

Foam materials are widely used in packaging and buildings for thermal insulation, sound absorption, shock absorption, and other functions. They are dominated by petroleum‐based plastics, most of which, however, are not biodegradable nor fire‐proofing, leading to severe plastic pollution and safety concerns. Here, a fire‐proofing, thermally insulating, recyclable 3D graphite‐cellulose nanofiber (G‐CNF) foam fabricated from resource‐abundant graphite and cellulose is reported. A freeze‐drying‐free and scalable ionic crosslinking method is developed to fabricate Cu2+ionic crosslinked G‐CNF (Cu‐G‐CNF) foam with a low energy consumption and cost. Moreover, the direct foam formation strategy enables local foam manufacturing to fulfil the local demand. The ionic crosslinked G‐CNF foam demonstrates excellent water stability (the foam can maintain mechanical robustness even in wet state and recover after being dried in air without deformation), fire resistance (41.7 kW m−2vs 214.3 kW m−2in the peak value of heat release rate) and a low thermal conductivity (0.05 W/(mK)), without compromising the recyclability, degradability, and mechanical performance of the composite foam. The demonstrated 3D G‐CNF foam can potentially replace the commercial plastic‐based foam materials, representing a sustainable solution against the “white pollution”.

 
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Award ID(s):
1936452
NSF-PAR ID:
10384578
Author(s) / Creator(s):
 ;  ;  ;  ;  ;  ;  ;  ;  ;  ;  ;  ;  ;  ;  ;  ;  ;  ;  
Publisher / Repository:
Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Advanced Functional Materials
Volume:
33
Issue:
6
ISSN:
1616-301X
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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