Collagen nanofibrous materials have become integral to tissue engineering due to their exceptional properties and biocompatibility. Dehydrothermal crosslinking (DHT) enhances stability and maintains structural integrity without the formation of toxic residues. The study involved the crosslinking of electrospun collagen, applying DHT with access to air and under vacuum conditions. Various DHT exposure times of up to 72 h were applied to examine the time dependance of the DHT process. The DHT crosslinked collagen was subsequently chemically crosslinked using carbodiimides. The material crosslinked in this way evinced elevated Young’s modulus values and ultimate tensile strength values, a lower swelling rate and lower shrinkage ratio during crosslinking, and a higher degree of resistance to degradation than the material crosslinked solely with DHT or carbodiimides. It was shown that the crosslinking mechanism using DHT occupies different binding sites than those using chemical crosslinking. Access to air for 12 h or less did not exert a significant impact on the material properties compared to DHT under vacuum conditions. However, concerning longer exposure times, it was determined that access to air results in the deterioration of the properties of the material and that reactions take place that occupy the free bonding sites, which subsequently reduces the effectiveness of chemical crosslinking using carbodiimides.

The study focuses on developing a fiber-reinforced composite that would exhibit good mechanical properties and climate resistance, and fire safety parameters would surpass commonly used fiber-reinforced polymers. The subject of development is a polysiloxane thermoset matrix reinforced with basalt fibers, which is processed by partial pyrolysis at 650 °C after curing. The heat release rate test showed virtually zero heat released, and the toxicity test showed only a very low amount of carbon monoxide. The flammability test showed no ignition, no radiation, and no glow. Composites for mechanical tests were prepared in three variants differing in the distribution of reinforcement. Due to the intended use of the composite for thin-walled panels or shells of buildings, the mechanical properties were compared in identical tests with fiber cement plates. The flexural strength of the composites was 3 to 10 times, and the impact energy was 10 to 100 times higher than the values measured on fiber cement, depending on the type and orientation of the composite. The flexural strength measured after 240 freeze–thaw conditioning cycles is higher than fiber cement by 1.3 to 2 times. The climate resistance of the composite should be the subject of further development.