Lightweight quasi-layered elastic fibrous porous ceramics with high compressive stress and low thermal conductivity

Fibrous porous ceramics are attractive for use as thermal insulation materials. However, the intrinsic brittleness of rigid materials has remained challenging and severely restricts their applications. Here, we demonstrated a facile method for fabricating elastic fibrous porous ceramics (EFPCs) with high compressive strength and low thermal conductivity through ordinary press filtration and subsequent heat treatment. The quasi-layered structure and the well-bonded bridging fibers between layers are the key points for the elasticity of EFPCs. The advanced EFPCs exhibited low density (∼0.126 g cm⁻³), high compressive stress (∼0.356 MPa), and low thermal conductivity (∼0.026 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹). Compared with rigid porous fibrous materials, the EFPCs had deformability and excellent shape recovery. In contrast to flexible materials, the EFPCs possessed high compressive stress, thus endowing them with good resistance to deformation. The emergence of this fascinating material may provide new insights for candidate materials in thermal insulation and other fields.