Plasma electrolysis spraying Al₂O₃ coating onto quartz fiber fabric for enhanced thermal conductivity and stability

This manuscript reported the synthesis of Al₂O₃ coating onto quartz fiber fabric by plasma electrolysis spray for enhanced thermal conductivity and stability. The nano- and micro-sized clusters were partially observed on the coating, while most coating was relatively smooth. It was suggested that the formation of a ceramic coating was followed as the nucleation-growth raw, that is, the formation of the coating clusters was dependent on the fast grow-up partially, implying the inhomogeneous energy distribution in the electrolysis plasma. The deposition of the Al₂O₃ coating increased the tensile strength from 19.2 to 58.1 MPa. The thermal conductivity of the coated quartz fiber was measured to be 1.17 W m^-1 K^-1, increased by ~45% compared to the bare fiber. The formation mechanism of the Al₂O₃ coating was preliminarily discussed. The thermally conductive quartz fiber with high thermal stability by plasma electrolysis spray will be widely used in flexible thermal shielding and insulation materials.