Effect of heat treatment on the morphology, diameter and mesoporous of superfine glass fiber

Abstract

Superfine glass fibers have high-temperature resistance, but they are rarely used and investigated at high temperature. In this article, the morphology, diameter and mesoporous are investigated by treating the superfine glass fiber felt during 400–650 °C. The result shows that the surface of heated fiber is smoother than original one; the diameter increases at 400 °C, then decreases with the increasing temperature, finally decreases by 14% at 600 °C; the mean mesoporous size increases with the increasing temperature, except at 500 °C, it increases 5.13 times at 600 °C. During heat treatment, the sizing agents gradually melt, decompose, and finally accumulate in very tinier areas on the surface of fiber; however, inside the fiber, the residual stress is released, the carbonate decomposes and melts. The released residual stress contributes to the increase of diameter, while thermal decomposition and thermal contraction cause the diameter to decrease and the mesoporous size to increase. The fiber stays in a metastable state, and has weight gain phenomenon when heated during 400–550 °C, while in a stable state at 600 °C, finally are destroyed at 650 °C.