J. Mater. Sci. Technol. ›› 2026, Vol. 251: 282-296.DOI: 10.1016/j.jmst.2025.07.004

• Research Article • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Coaxial electrospun PEG-4000@PVDF composite membranes with intumescent flame retardants: Toward multifunctional fabrics for thermal management and ultra-safe lithium-ion battery separators

Yongshuang Xiaoa, Jiahui Lina, Yan Caoa, Xin Liua, Hao Wanga, Saad Alshammarib, Xuetao Shic, Hua Guoc, Mohamed H. Helald, Hassan Algadie, Juanna Renh, Nurgul Zhumanovaf, Nazgul Akimbayevaf, Zhexenbek Toktarbayg, Jintao Huanga,*, Zhanhu Guoi,*   

  1. aDepartment of Polymeric Materials and Engineering, School of Materials and Energy, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, China;
    bDepartment of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, College of Engineering, Majmaah University, Al Majmaah 11952, Saudi Arabia;
    cShaanxi Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an 710072, China;
    dCenter for Scientific Research and Entrepreneurship, Northern Border University, Arar 73213, Saudi Arabia;
    eDepartment of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Najran University, Najran 11001, Saudi Arabia;
    fDepartment of Chemistry, Faculty of Natural Science, Kazakh National Woman's Teacher Training University, Almaty 700420, Kazakhstan;
    gSustainability of Ecology and Bioresources, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty 050040, Kazakhstan;
    hCollege of Materials Science and Engineering, Taiyuan University of Science and Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China;
    iDepartment of Mechanical and Construction Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Environment, Northumbria University, Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 8ST, UK
  • Received:2025-05-13 Revised:2025-07-06 Accepted:2025-07-07 Published:2026-04-20 Online:2025-07-18
  • Contact: * E-mail addresses: jintao.huang@gdut.edu.cn (J. Huang), zhanhu.guo@northumbria.ac.uk (Z. Guo).

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Abstract: Phase change materials (PCMs) like PEG-4000 offer high heat storage density and can isothermally store or release energy. However, there are fatal safety problems, such as leakage and flammability during transition, which greatly limit the practical application. To address these issues, coaxial electrospinning was employed to fabricate multifunctional core-shell structured fibers, encapsulating PEG-4000 within a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) shell integrated with halogen-free intumescent flame retardants (IFR). The resulting PEG-4000@PVDF-IFR (PPI) composite fibers exhibit superior thermal stability, shape stability, and flame retardancy. Among them, PPI-3 exhibits a synergistic flame-retardant effect, with a high storage density of 92.26 J g-1 and a V-0 rating in modified UL-94 tests. Compared to PEG-4000, PPI-3 reduces the total heat release (THR) by 51.59 % and increases the char residue from 1.51 % to 15.15 %, significantly enhancing the flame retardancy. The PPI coaxial fiber membrane, featuring a well-designed core-shell structure, combines high porosity, large specific surface area, and superior flexibility, simultaneously enhancing traditional textile comfort and thermal regulation while effectively mitigating thermal runaway risks in lithium-ion batteries. In conclusion, PPI shows considerable potential for application in thermal management applications.

Key words: Phase change materials, Coaxial electrospinning, Flame-retardant, Thermal energy storage, Battery safety

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