Mechanical robust and thermal tolerant nanofibrous membrane for nanoparticles removal from aqueous solution

A mechanical robust and thermal tolerant nanofibrous membrane with hydrophilicity is presented by one step via electrospinning Nomex (R) solution. The nanofibrous membrane shows a high specific surface area of 21.46 m(2)/g, two orders of magnitude larger than that of the commercial Nomex (R) fibers. The experimental results demonstrate that the membrane has high efficient rejection for nanoparticles from aqueous solution, which reveals its feasibility used in liquid filtration. Additionally, the membrane displays high break strength of 31.34 MPa as well as very excellent thermal resistance, making it as good candidates for applications in reinforced nanomaterials, automobile air filters, template of structure coatings etc., requiring high strength and high thermal resistance. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.