Synthesis of mullite fibers using electrospun fiber template

For the first time, mullite fibers were successfully prepared using non-hydrolytic sol-gel as the precursor solution and electrospun polyvinyl pyrrolidone fibers as the template. The mullite fibers were investigated using thermogravimetric and differential thermal analyses, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Results showed that most of the organic molecules were removed and the pure mullite fibers were obtained successfully after calcination at 1200 degrees C. The average diameter of the fibers was 270 nm. This method can be potentially used to synthesize other 1D materials. (C) 2016 The Ceramic Society of Japan. All rights reserved.