Alumina nanofibers obtained via electrospinning of pseudo-boehmite sol/PVP solution

Alumina nanofibers were fabricated by calcination of the polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)/pseudo-boehmite nanocomposite precursor fibers formed by electrospinning PVP/ethanol solution of dispersed pseudo-boehmite nanoparticles with and without additive of silica. The evolution of the phase, mechanical property and morphological features of the calcined fibers were studied and the effect of adding SiO2 on the phase transformation of alumina was discussed. Adding SiO2 can retard the phase transformation of gamma-Al2O3 to alpha-Al2O3 and therefore inhibit the growth of alumina grains during calcination. Upon calcining the precursor fibers with 4 wt% SiO2 additive at 1,300 A degrees C, continuous alumina nanofibers with diameter ranging from 300 to 800 nm were obtained. These continuous nanofibers exhibited good flexibility and could be very promising for applications in filtration and catalyst support.