Advances in Fiber Materials and Manufacturing

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomacromolecules, Biobased and Biodegradable Polymers".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 August 2023) | Viewed by 13453

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of New Textile Materials and Advanced Processing Technologies, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430200, China
Interests: textile materials; fiber composites; cleaner production; smart textiles; sustainable dyeing

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Guest Editor
State Key Laboratory of Separation Membranes and Membrane Processes, School of Textile Science and Engineering, Tiangong University, Tianjin 300387, China
Interests: polymer nanofiber membrane; carbon nanofibers; lithium metal battery; all-solid-state cells; electrocatalysis
Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures (EON) lab, Department of Biology, Ghent University, 9000 Gent, Belgium
Interests: melanin; melanin-like material; polymers; fiber composites; biomaterials

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Textile fiber materials are of immense importance in the global economy, which are used in various forms for a wide range of applications (aerospace, biomedical, energy, agriculture, civil construction, architecture, environment, waste management applications, etc.). Fibers are typically grouped into two major categories: natural fibers (cotton, hemp, coir, flax, ramie, jute, silk and wool fiber, etc.) and synthetic fibers (viscose, cellulose acetate, polyester, polyamide, polyolefin, polyimide, aramid, polyurethane, glass, carbon fibers, etc.).

For this Special Issue, we aim to present the most recent developments in “Advances in Fiber Materials and Manufacturing. We welcome contributions dealing with related research fields for textile fiber materials and processing technologies, especially for the presentation of scientific results that introduce new concepts, innovative technologies, and improved understanding of textile fiber materials, chemistry, processes, and systems.

Topics of interest include but are not limited to the following:

  • Design, synthesis, and characterization of fiber materials;
  • High-performance fibers and composites;
  • Smart textiles and wearable intelligent devices;
  • Development of sensing technologies based on fiber materials;
  • Nanotechnologies in fibers and polymers;
  • Advanced applications of fiber materials;
  • Spinning, fabrication, and developments in production processes of textiles;
  • Manufacture and testing of fibrous structures and fabricated products;
  • Environmentally friendly dyeing or treatment of fibers and textiles;
  • Novel processing methods and techniques for fibers;
  • Other fiber-related materials and manufacturing.

Dr. Liangjun Xia
Dr. Nanping Deng
Dr. Wanjie Xie
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • advanced textile fiber materials
  • low-carbon processing technologies
  • color construction
  • polymer fibers
  • fiber-based composites
  • textile dyeing and treatment
  • textile functionalization
  • strain sensing
  • smart textiles
  • biomass-based fibers
  • nanotechnologies for textiles
  • advanced manufacturing for textiles

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 4572 KiB  
Article
Deposition of Uniform Nanoscale Patterns on Silicon Dioxide Based on Coaxial Jet Direct Writing
by Shiwei Shi, Zeshan Abbas, Xiangyu Zhao, Junsheng Liang and Dazhi Wang
Polymers 2023, 15(18), 3702; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15183702 - 08 Sep 2023
Viewed by 777
Abstract
To increase the printing stability of low-viscosity solutions, an auxiliary method was proposed using a coaxial electrohydrodynamic jet. A high-viscosity solution was employed as the outer layer in the printing process, and it could be removed (dissolved away) after printing the structures. A [...] Read more.
To increase the printing stability of low-viscosity solutions, an auxiliary method was proposed using a coaxial electrohydrodynamic jet. A high-viscosity solution was employed as the outer layer in the printing process, and it could be removed (dissolved away) after printing the structures. A combination of mechanical and electrical forces was proposed to enhance the consistency, durability, and alignment of the printed versatile structures. The instability of the jet trajectory (which arose from the repulsion between the jet and the base with a residual charge, in addition to the winding effect of the solution) was also reduced using the drag force along the direction of movement. Moreover, the jet velocity, the surface charge, and the influence of various working voltages on the jet speed were simulated. An array of IDT-BT nanostructures measuring about 100 nm was prepared on silicon dioxide (using an inner needle with a diameter of 130 µm) by equating the moving speed (350 mm/s) of the substrate to the speed of the jet. Moreover, the moving speed (350 mm/s) of the substrate was compared exclusively to the speed of the jet. The method proposed throughout this study can provide a reference for enhancing the stability of low-viscosity solutions on substrates for high-efficiency fabrication devices (NEMS/MEMS). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Fiber Materials and Manufacturing)
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16 pages, 9826 KiB  
Article
Controlling the Fiber Stress Distribution with Variable-Frequency Step Roll for Tunable Spun Yarn Structures
by Zhiyong Peng, Wei Li, Ze Chen, Pinxun Wang, Ziyi Su, Yue Sun, Keshuai Liu, Duo Xu and Weilin Xu
Polymers 2023, 15(13), 2974; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15132974 - 07 Jul 2023
Viewed by 966
Abstract
The dynamic regulation of fiber stress distribution in the yarn-forming triangle area is critical for controlling variable composite yarn structures, including siro and sirofil composite yarns. In this study, comparison analyses of the variable geometric structure and stress distribution during the yarn-forming process, [...] Read more.
The dynamic regulation of fiber stress distribution in the yarn-forming triangle area is critical for controlling variable composite yarn structures, including siro and sirofil composite yarns. In this study, comparison analyses of the variable geometric structure and stress distribution during the yarn-forming process, which involves step rolls with asymmetrical fiber control, have been carried out using ring-spinning technology. The geometric analyses show that partly staple fibers are continuously controlled while other fibers intermittently lack stress restraint, resulting in cyclically changed helical angles and wrapping density in the yarn-forming triangle area. The yarn structure model displayed that periodically distributed staple fibers occur in siro composite yarn, while sirofil composite yarn shows gradual periodic changes with uniform thickness variations, caused by cyclical changes in the stress distribution between filaments, and the strand altered the yarn-forming zone shapes from symmetrical to offset. Then, a systematic comparison of variable composite yarns with different frequencies (high, medium and low frequency) revealed that low-frequency step roll with wider grooves resulted in an intermittent output of staple fibers with less stress restraint, resulting in more pronounced structural variation in the siro and sirofil composite yarns with a slight yarn quality deterioration. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Fiber Materials and Manufacturing)
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13 pages, 3141 KiB  
Article
A Rapid Quantitative Analysis of Bicomponent Fibers Based on Cross-Sectional In-Situ Observation
by Jieyao Qin, Mingxi Lu, Bin Li, Xiaorui Li, Guangming You, Linjian Tan, Yikui Zhai, Meilin Huang and Yingzhu Wu
Polymers 2023, 15(4), 842; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15040842 - 08 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1410
Abstract
To accelerate the industrialization of bicomponent fibers, fiber-based flexible devices, and other technical fibers and to protect the property rights of inventors, it is necessary to develop fast, economical, and easy-to-test methods to provide some guidance for formulating relevant testing standards. A quantitative [...] Read more.
To accelerate the industrialization of bicomponent fibers, fiber-based flexible devices, and other technical fibers and to protect the property rights of inventors, it is necessary to develop fast, economical, and easy-to-test methods to provide some guidance for formulating relevant testing standards. A quantitative method based on cross-sectional in-situ observation and image processing was developed in this study. First, the cross-sections of the fibers were rapidly prepared by the non-embedding method. Then, transmission and reflection metallographic microscopes were used for in-situ observation and to capture the cross-section images of fibers. This in-situ observation allows for the rapid identification of the type and spatial distribution structure of the bicomponent fiber. Finally, the mass percentage content of each component was calculated rapidly by AI software according to its density, cross-section area, and total test samples of each component. By comparing the ultra-depth of field microscope, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and chemical dissolution method, the quantitative analysis was fast, accurate, economical, simple to operate, energy-saving, and environmentally friendly. This method will be widely used in the intelligent qualitative identification and quantitative analysis of bicomponent fibers, fiber-based flexible devices, and blended textiles. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Fiber Materials and Manufacturing)
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14 pages, 7690 KiB  
Article
Enhancing the Spun Yarn Properties by Controlling Fiber Stress Distribution in the Spinning Triangle with Rotary Heterogeneous Contact Surfaces
by Yingcun Liu, Can Ge, Ziyi Su, Ze Chen, Chong Gao, Haoran Gong, Weilin Xu, Duo Xu and Keshuai Liu
Polymers 2023, 15(1), 176; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15010176 - 29 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2182
Abstract
Control of tension distribution in the spinning triangle region that can facilitate fiber motion and transfer is highly desirable for high quality yarn production. Here, the key mechanisms and a mechanical model of gradient regulation of fiber tension and motion with rotary heterogeneous [...] Read more.
Control of tension distribution in the spinning triangle region that can facilitate fiber motion and transfer is highly desirable for high quality yarn production. Here, the key mechanisms and a mechanical model of gradient regulation of fiber tension and motion with rotary heterogeneous contact surfaces were theoretically analyzed. The linear velocity gradient, effected on a fiber strand using rotary heterogeneous contact surfaces, could balance and stabilize the structure and stress distribution of spinning triangle area, which could capture exposed fiber to reduce hairiness formation and enhance the internal and external fiber transfer to strengthen the fiber utilization rate. Then, varied yarns spun without and with the rotary grooved and rotary heterogeneous contact surfaces were tested to compare the property improvement for verifying above-mentioned theory. The hairiness, irregularity, and tensity of the yarns spun with rotary heterogeneous contact surfaces spun yarns were significantly improved compared to other spun yarns, which effectively corresponded well to the theoretical analysis. Based on this spinning method, this effective, low energy-consuming, easy spinning apparatus can be used with varied fiber materials for high-quality yarn production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Fiber Materials and Manufacturing)
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16 pages, 5812 KiB  
Article
Fabrication of Superhydrophobic and Light-Absorbing Polyester Fabric Based on Caffeic Acid
by Xue Lei, Ailing Xie, Xinya Yuan, Xueni Hou, Jiaosheng Lu, Ping Liu, Zhonglin Xiang, Guoqiang Chen and Tieling Xing
Polymers 2022, 14(24), 5536; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14245536 - 17 Dec 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1319
Abstract
Caffeic acid (CA) was treated on the surface of polyester fabric (PET), and Fe2+ was used as an intermediate to form chelates with CA to increase the roughness of the polyester surface. With the addition of n-octadecyl mercaptan (SH), the mercapto group [...] Read more.
Caffeic acid (CA) was treated on the surface of polyester fabric (PET), and Fe2+ was used as an intermediate to form chelates with CA to increase the roughness of the polyester surface. With the addition of n-octadecyl mercaptan (SH), the mercapto group reacted with the carbon–carbon double bond of CA on the PET surface through enol click chemical reaction. Meanwhile, CA was polymerized under UV radiation, and thus CA-Fe-SH-PET was prepared. The introduction of SH with a long carbon chain reduced the surface energy of the PET, in order to endow the polyester fabric with a superhydrophobic/lipophilic function. Combined with XPS and FTIR tests, the new carbon–carbon double bond’s binding energy and vibration peak were found on the fabric surface, indicating that CA was adsorbed on the PET fabric’s surface. After adding SH, the double bond disappeared, demonstrating that SH and CA occurred a click chemical reaction and were grafted onto the PET fabric’s surface. The water contact angle (WCA) of CA-Fe-SH-PET was about 156 ± 0.6°, and the scrolling angle (SA) was about 3.298°. The results showed that the modified polyester had a robust superhydrophobic stability in washing, mechanical friction, sun aging, seawater immersion, organic reagent, and acid-base erosion derived from the good adhesion of polymerized CA (PCA). At the same time, the modified polyester fabric had good self-cleaning, antifouling, and oil–water separation performance. It was found that the CA-Fe-SH-PET fabric had unique photothermal conversion characteristics, which can convert the absorbed ultraviolet light into thermal energy, providing a local warming effect due to rapid heating and improving the transmission speed of heavy oil (engine oil and diesel). The CA-Fe-SH-PET fabric can further prevent the transmission of ultraviolet rays, and the UV resistance of CA-Fe-SH-PET fabric is far higher than the UV resistance standard. The preparation method is simple, fast, efficient, and environmentally friendly, and it has better a potential application value in the oil–water separation field. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Fiber Materials and Manufacturing)
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13 pages, 3226 KiB  
Article
Insignificant Difference in Biocompatibility of Regenerated Silk Fibroin Prepared with Ternary Reagent Compared with Regenerated Silk Fibroin Prepared with Lithium Bromide
by Guotao Cheng, Xin Wang, Mengqiu Wu, Siyuan Wu, Lan Cheng, Xiaoning Zhang and Fangyin Dai
Polymers 2022, 14(18), 3903; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14183903 - 18 Sep 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2816
Abstract
Bombyx mori silk fibroin (SF) is widely used in the field of biomaterials due to its excellent biocompatibility and mechanical properties. However, SF cannot be used directly in many applications and needs to be dissolved first. Lithium bromide (LiBr) is a traditional solvent [...] Read more.
Bombyx mori silk fibroin (SF) is widely used in the field of biomaterials due to its excellent biocompatibility and mechanical properties. However, SF cannot be used directly in many applications and needs to be dissolved first. Lithium bromide (LiBr) is a traditional solvent which is usually used to dissolve SF. However, LiBr has several limitations, e.g., it is expensive, it is toxic to organisms, and it is environmentally unfriendly. Herein, we investigate the possibility of developing a ternary reagent system that is inexpensive, non-toxic to organisms, and environmentally friendly as an alternative for silk fibroin solubilization. The results confirm that regenerated silk fibroin (RSF) prepared using a ternary reagent has the same morphology and amino acid composition as that prepared using LiBr, but the RSF prepared using a ternary reagent still had a small amount of calcium residue even after long-term dialysis. Further research found that the residual calcium does not cause significant differences in the structure and biological performance of the RSF, such as its cytotoxicity, blood compatibility, and antibacterial properties. Therefore, we believe that ternary reagents are an ideal alternative solvent for dissolving SF. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Fiber Materials and Manufacturing)
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13 pages, 3166 KiB  
Article
Electrospinning Silk Fibroin/Graphene Nanofiber Membrane Used for 3D Wearable Pressure Sensor
by Zulan Liu, Jiaxuan Wang, Qian Zhang, Zheng Li, Zhi Li, Lan Cheng and Fangyin Dai
Polymers 2022, 14(18), 3875; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym14183875 - 16 Sep 2022
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2781
Abstract
With the improvement of science and technology, flexible sensors have become a hot research topic. Flexible sensors have broad application in human health detection and motion detection and other fields. In this paper, the silk fibroin/graphene nanofiber membranes were prepared by double needle [...] Read more.
With the improvement of science and technology, flexible sensors have become a hot research topic. Flexible sensors have broad application in human health detection and motion detection and other fields. In this paper, the silk fibroin/graphene nanofiber membranes were prepared by double needle electrospinning. In addition, the high sensitivity of the three-dimensional composite hierarchy was obtained by superimposing a monolayer silk fibroin/graphene nanofiber membrane, which was prepared via double needle electrospinning. In addition, the three-dimensional hierarchy was encapsulated by polydimethylsiloxane to prepare a pressure sensor. The sensitivity of the pressure sensor can achieve 7.7 Pa−1. In addition, this pressure sensor has excellent durability (>2000 cycles) and shorter response times (490 ms), which has broad research prospects in human health detection and motion detection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Fiber Materials and Manufacturing)
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