硅酸盐学报

高性能氧化铝连续纤维研究进展

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姚树伟 ¹ , 陈力 ¹ , 马运柱 ¹ , 刘文胜 ² , 王娟 ²

硅酸盐学报 | 综合评述 2026,54(6): 2137-2156

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硅酸盐学报 |综合评述 2026 , 54 (6) : 2137 -2156

高性能氧化铝连续纤维研究进展

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姚树伟¹, 陈力¹, 马运柱¹, 刘文胜², 王娟²

作者信息

^1．中南大学，轻质高强结构材料国家级重点实验室，长沙 410083

^2．中南大学高等研究中心，长沙 410083

通讯作者:

马运柱（1975—），男，博士，教授。

作者简介:

姚树伟（1989—），男，博士，副教授。

Research Progress on High-Performance Alumina Fibres

Shuwei YAO¹, Li CHEN¹, Yunzhu MA¹, Wensheng LIU², Juan WANG²

Affiliations

^1.National Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on High-strength Structural Materials, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China

^2.Institute for advanced study, Central South University, Changsha 410083, China

Corresponding Author:

{MA} Yunzhu (1975-), male, Ph.D., Professor. E-mail: zhuzipm@csu.edu.cn

YAO Shuwei (1989-), male, Ph.D., Associate Professor. E-mail: shwyao@csu.edu.cn

出版时间: 2026-05-12 doi: 10.14062/j.issn.0454-5648.20250634

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摘要

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氧化铝连续纤维因具高强度、高模量及优异的耐高温氧化性能，在高温隔热绝热与航天器空间碎片防护领域极具应用价值。溶胶-凝胶法作为制备高性能氧化铝连续纤维的主要方法，然其繁杂的工艺流程——涵盖热分解、相变、致密化及晶粒生长等一系列复杂过程，致使调控纤维组织结构与优化纤维性能面临多重挑战。通过对高性能氧化铝纤维组织结构的系统归纳、溶胶-凝胶制备过程中微观结构演变规律的阐明，以及对高温服役条件下组织结构演变与力学性能衰退内在机制的深入解析，为制备高性能氧化铝连续纤维、推动其在极端环境下的工程应用奠定了理论基础。

关键词

氧化铝纤维 / 溶胶-凝胶 / 组织结构 / 热稳定性

Abstract

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Continuous alumina fibers show a great potential for high-temperature insulation and debris shielding in spacecraft. Their advantages include high strength, high modulus, and excellent oxidation resistance at high temperatures. The sol-gel method is the main process for producing these fibers. This method involves several steps, i.e., thermal decomposition, phase transformation, densification, and grain growth. These steps make it difficult to precisely control the fiber microstructure and optimize the mechanical properties.

This review summarizes recent development on controlling the microstructures of alumina fibers. These include selecting appropriate precursors, optimizing processing parameters, and using sintering aids. Sol-gel precursors are usually formed via hydrolyzing and condensing inorganic aluminum salts, carboxylates, or alkoxides. Gelation proceeds by natural aging or concentration, resulting in three-dimensional networks. After dry spinning or electrospinning, pre-sintering removes most organics. Residual hydroxyl groups are eliminated at high temperatures, affecting fiber densification. Metastable alumina phases convert to a stable α-Al₂O₃ at approximately 1200 ℃ because of a high energy barrier. Additives such as α-Fe₂O₃, α-Al₂O₃, or α-Cr₂O₃ aid nucleation and increase nucleation density. The phase transformation process produces a stable α-Al₂O₃ phase, but at this stage the material still contains a significant amount of porosity, resulting in a poor mechanical strength. Producing dense, high-performance alumina fibers requires high-temperature treatment for mass transport and pore removal. However, densification and grain growth occur together. A rapid grain growth at high temperatures can trap pores, making their removal difficult. Understanding and balancing the relationship between the two is thus central to the sintering process. The strategies to restrain grain growth and control microstructure include two-step sintering and the addition of SiO₂, MgO, or ZrO₂.

This review also briefly addresses the mechanisms underlying the performance degradation of alumina fibers under high-temperature service conditions. The microstructural evolution of alumina fibres under high-temperature conditions exerts a dominant influence on their mechanical properties. Regarding failure induced by abnormal grain growth in single-phase alumina fibers at high temperatures, the incorporation of a second phase can regulate fiber microstructure and mechanical properties. For instance, within the Al₂O₃-SiO₂ system, Nextel 720 fibers demonstrate markedly a superior high-temperature creep resistance, compared to Nextel 610 fibers. Nevertheless, studies on the creep failure behavior of such fibers remain limited. Based on the systematic microstructural characterization of high-performance alumina fibers, the elucidation of microstructural evolution mechanisms during sol-gel synthesis, and the in-depth analysis of the intrinsic relationships between microstructural evolution and mechanical property degradation under high-temperature service conditions, this review establishes a theoretical foundation for the fabrication of high-performance continuous alumina fibers and promotes their engineering application in extreme environments.

Summary and Prospects

This review systematically represents recent advances on the sol-gel synthesis of high-performance continuous alumina fibers. The analysis reveals that a precise control of microstructural characteristics, such as grain size, phase composition, and grain boundary properties, can profoundly affects the mechanical properties and high-temperature performance of the fibers. However, some substantial challenges persist in understanding the mechanisms of alumina fiber formation, achieving a precise process control, and enhancing performance in extreme environments. Accordingly, future research should focus on the following directions:

1) Transitioning from empirical trial-and-error to theoretically guided design via developing multiscale simulation techniques to inform holistic process optimization during fiber fabrication. Computational simulations can uncover underlying mechanisms to enable theory-driven fiber design. In an atomic scale, first-principles calculations and molecular dynamics simulations can reveal grain boundary segregation behavior of sintering aids such as rare-earth oxides. molecular dynamics can also simulate atomic rearrangement during α-Al₂O₃ phase transformation, clarifying heterogeneous nucleation mechanisms induced by iron sol additions. In a mesoscale, phase-field modeling can dynamically simulate densification-grain growth competition, grain boundary pinning by secondary phases, and defect evolution. In a macroscale, the fiber service failure can be simulated to correlate predicted microstructures to mechanical properties.

2) Advancing from static cross-sectional observation to dynamic in-situ characterization via developing advanced in-situ techniques to directly elucidate fiber microstructural evolution mechanisms. The existing understanding of microstructural evolution relies largely on static examination of samples from different processing stages, rendering direct validation difficult and many conclusions speculative. Future work should emphasize in-situ experimental methods applicable to both the preparation and service of alumina fibers, enabling the real-time observation of microstructural evolution.

3) Bridging a gap between laboratory samples and industrial products via addressing challenges in continuity, stability, and cost efficiency in fiber manufacturing. Future efforts should focus on developing online monitoring and feedback systems for precursor sols to maintain viscosity and spinnability, advancing intelligent temperature and tension control to minimize fiber bending damage while collecting real-time data on the effects of thermal and tensile variations and exploring low-cost alternative aluminium sources paired with optimized sintering protocols to reduce energy consumption.

4) Addressing next-generation application requirements via investigating fiber performance limits under ultra-high-temperature, long-duration service conditions and developing novel reinforcement strategies. Systematic studies should be conducted on creep mechanism transitions, grain boundary evolution, and the performance degradation mechanisms in high-temperature environments such as steam and air.

Key words

alumina fibers / sol-gel method / microstructure evolution / high temperature stability

引用本文

姚树伟, 陈力, 马运柱, 刘文胜, 王娟. 高性能氧化铝连续纤维研究进展. 硅酸盐学报, 2026 , 54 (6) : 2137 -2156 . DOI: 10.14062/j.issn.0454-5648.20250634

Shuwei YAO, Li CHEN, Yunzhu MA, Wensheng LIU, Juan WANG. Research Progress on High-Performance Alumina Fibres[J]. Journal of the Chinese Ceramic Society, 2026 , 54 (6) : 2137 -2156 . DOI: 10.14062/j.issn.0454-5648.20250634

基金

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国家自然科学基金(U20A202405)

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2026年第54卷第6期

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文章信息

doi: 10.14062/j.issn.0454-5648.20250634

接收时间：2025-08-27
首发时间：2026-10-22
出版时间：2026-05-12

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收稿日期：2025-08-27
修回日期：2025-10-19

基金

国家自然科学基金(U20A202405)

作者信息

^1．中南大学，轻质高强结构材料国家级重点实验室，长沙 410083

^2．中南大学高等研究中心，长沙 410083

通讯作者:

马运柱（1975—），男，博士，教授。

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https://castjournals.cast.org.cn/joweb/gsyxb/CN/10.14062/j.issn.0454-5648.20250634

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2种不同金属材料的力学参数

科 Family	属数 Number of genus	种数 Number of species	占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%)	属 Genus	种数 Number of species	占总种数比例 Percentage of total species (%)
鹅膏菌科Amanitaceae	2	11	5.26	鹅膏菌属 Amanita	10	4.78
小菇科 Mycenaceae	2	12	5.74	丝盖伞属 Inocybe	5	2.39
多孔菌科 Polyporaceae	8	14	6.70	蜡蘑属 Laccaria	5	2.39
红菇科 Russulaceae	3	23	11.00	小皮伞属 Marasmius	6	2.87
				小菇属 Mycena	11	5.26
				光柄菇属 Pluteus	5	2.39
				红菇属 Russula	17	8.13
				栓菌属 Trametes	5	2.39

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