Flexible fire-resistant and heat-insulating materials fabricated using sodium titanate nanobelts

Abstract There is a high demand for fire-resistant and heat-insulating materials in the aerospace, construction, and chemical engineering industries. In this study, inorganic porous materials with low thermal conductivity and high flame resistance were fabricated from sodium titanate (Na2Ti3O7) nanobelts. The thermal conductivity of the as-prepared Na2Ti3O7 material was ∼0.052 W·m-1·K-1 at 25°C. The thickness of the Na2Ti3O7-based heat-insulating materials could be modulated. These materials showed huge potential for application in fire-proof fabrics, high-temperature gas filtration, and heat-insulation interlayers. The high thermal stability and mechanical properties of the Na2Ti3O7 nanobelts endowed the heat-insulating materials with excellent structural stability and good flexibility toward compression.