Preparation of K2Ti6O13 fibers by electrospinning for near-infrared reflectivity

Ceramic coatings have been widely used in industrial fields. K2Ti6O13 fibers could be a potential coating material for low thermal conductivity, high mechanical strength and infrared reflectivity. The precursor fibers, using potassium acetate (CH3COOK) and tetrabutyl titanate (TROT) as potassium and titanium sources, were prepared by the electrospinning technique with the sol-gel method. To prepare K2Ti6O13 fibers, the mole ratio of K/Ti was adjusted from 1:2 to 1:3. The transformation of other phases of potassium titanates was characterized by XRD patterns and Raman spectra. The effects of mole ratio of K/Ti on morphology of samples have been investigated. Well-crystallized fibers were prepared with single-crystal K2Ti6O13 structure. The corresponding morphology and microstructure evolution were studied by SEM and TEM. The as-obtained K2Ti6O13 fibers possessed the high near-infrared (NIR) reflectivity of 98%.