Preparations of TiO2 nanocrystal coating layers with various morphologies on Mullite fibers for infrared opacifier application

TiO2 nanorods coatings (TONC) were prepared on the surface of Mullite fibers by seed-hydrothermal method, which were designed as infrared opacifier. The influences of different tetrabutyl-titanate amount on the TONC morphologies, crystalline and optical properties were investigated. Effective specific extinction (e*) was used to characterize their masking ability. The TONC morphologies could be adjusted from nanoparticles to nanorods, which had direct influence on their optical properties. In the 3 μm-6 μm range of infrared light, e* of TONC could be improved up to 2-4 folds compared with that of Mullite fibers. Present study indicated TONC is a promising infrared opacifier.