High Temperature Thermal Insulation Ceramic Aerogels Fabricated from ZrC Nanofibers Welded with Carbon Nanoparticles

Ceramic aerogels exhibit great potential in thermal insulation due to their ultralow density, high porosity, ultralow thermal conductivity, and good chemical stability. However, the application of traditional oxide ceramic aerogels in extreme environments is limited. Herein, we proposed an ultra-high temperature ceramic (UHTC) aerogel designed by ZrC nanofibers welded with carbon nanoparticles. Among them, the flexible ZrC nanofibers, as basic 1D assembly blocks, were assembled into a stable 3D porous structure through the carbon nanoparticles converted by the resorcinol formaldehyde resin (RF). The obtained multiscale fibrous framework endows aerogel with ultralow density (0.0133–0.0282 g cm–3), high porosity (99.73–99.07%), good compressive strength (0.7–18.9 kPa), ultralow thermal conductivity (0.185–0.249 W m–1 K–1), and high-temperature stability at 1400 °C under vacuum. These comprehensive properties can be tailored by adjusting the RF content. The study provides promising perspectives for ZrC nanofiber aerogels in high-temperature insulation applications.