Fibers and Polymers最新文献

This research work investigates the design optimization and mechanical evaluation of eco-efficient epoxy composites reinforced with agro-residue fibers—paddy straw, bagasse, mustard husk, and wood sawdust—for use in grain storage applications. A total of 36 specimens were fabricated with residue-to-epoxy ratios (RER) varying between 1.2 and 1.4, incorporating 100 g silica filler and 100 ml HY‑951 hardener. Mechanical characterization, following ASTM standards, included tensile, compressive, flexural, impact, and hardness testing, supported by a Kline–McClintock uncertainty analysis (± 1.0–1.5%) and regression modeling (R² > 99.7%). The paddy straw composite (T6) achieved peak performance: 33 MPa tensile strength, 31 MPa compressive strength, 43 MPa flexural strength, 0.5 MJ/m³ toughness, and 9.5 BHN hardness—outperforming bagasse by 17% in tensile strength and mustard stalk by 19.6% in flexural modulus. Wood sawdust composites showed the lowest performance due to weak bonding. All results fell within a ± 10% error band, confirming reproducibility. The findings demonstrate that paddy straw composites are robust, cost-effective, and sustainable alternatives to conventional materials. Future efforts will focus on enhancing environmental durability, fire and pest resistance, and scaling via real-world prototyping.

This study developed a kind of thermochromic fabric cover for automotive steering with better functionality and aesthetic appeal. The fabric was prepared using 100% polyester chenille yarns (29 tex) with the function of reversible tricolor transitions, and knitted on a double-sided jacquard circular weft knitting machine. The fabric pattern was designed using the iTDS3.0 textile AI design system from Jiangnan University, in which a maple leaf was created using the chenille yarn while the rest areas were incorporated with 33 tex polyester yarns. Various texture designs were employed to achieve unique textures and structures. Microscopic analysis revealed that the thermochromic powder adheres irregularly among the fibers of the chenille yarn, forming a strong bond. The mechanical properties of the yarn and fabric remained stable before and after the color change, with tensile and elongation characteristics suitable for everyday use. Fabric contact angle results showed differences in wettability between thermochromic and non-thermochromic yarns. The testing of color fastness to rubbing showed good performance in both color-changing and non-color-changing areas. Air permeability tests highlighted that the air layer structure in color-changing regions enhances breathability. Spectrophotometer results and visual demonstrations clearly illustrated the fabric’s color transition behavior in response to temperature variations. The final product exhibits smooth and natural color shifts across different temperatures, effectively demonstrating the application potential of thermochromic yarn in automotive interiors. This research provides innovative insights and practical examples for the intelligent and personalized development of automotive textiles, highlighting significant potential for future applications in this field.

Cushioning is one of the most commonly touched materials in real life and the most widely used component in industry, packaging and transport, and personal protection. In this paper, a spacer fabric-reinforced silicone rubber flexible composite material inspired by the bone-seam joint structure is proposed. The interfacial interlock is achieved by stacking vertical strips of spacer fabric on top and bottom, and then composite with silicone rubber to produce flexible composites. The effects of fabric structure and stacking method on the compression performance of silicone rubber composites were investigated. In addition, the effects of silicone filler rate, impact energy, and stacking method on the impact performance of silicone rubber composites were also investigated, which is of great significance for the development and research of flexible cushioning materials. The results show that the energy absorption of the composites increases with the increase of silica gel filling amount. The energy absorption of composites also increases with the increase of impact energy. Compared with side-by-side and back-to-back stacking methods, the interlocking stacks have a greater ability to carry loads when subjected to compression and have the best compressive properties. In addition, the energy absorption is higher due to the deflection of cracks that occurs in the interlocking stacks when impact damage occurs.

Ecosystems are increasingly threatened by intensive oil exploitation and frequent oil spills, underscoring the need for efficient, sustainable, and cost-effective separation technologies. In this study, a bio-based, magnetic, and superhydrophobic oil–water separation membrane was fabricated by electrospinning polylactic acid/polycaprolactone (PLA/PCL) nanofibers embedded with magnetic nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄) onto the surface of commercial cotton textiles (CT). The Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were synthesized via a hydrothermal route and characterized using FT-IR, XRD, UV–Vis, VSM, and TEM, revealing a uniform spherical morphology with an average diameter of 28.23 nm. Nanofibrous mats containing 1–3 wt% Fe₃O₄ were deposited onto CT to obtain membranes of varying thickness and magnetic responsiveness. The membranes were comprehensively characterized by FT-IR, XRD, FE-SEM, TGA, WCA, and tensile strength tests. The incorporation of PCL improved the flexibility and mechanical strength of the PLA matrix, while the addition of Fe₃O₄ significantly enhanced the thermal stability and surface roughness, contributing to increased hydrophobicity (maximum WCA: 155.43°) and superoleophilicity (oil contact angle ≈ 0°). The membranes exhibited excellent oil–water separation efficiency (> 98%), high permeation flux (> 8000 L·m⁻²·h⁻¹), and notable oil absorption capacity (18.5 g/g), and could be easily recovered using an external magnet. Furthermore, the membrane maintained its separation efficiency over ten consecutive cycles, demonstrating high reusability. These findings suggest that PLA/PCL/Fe₃O₄-modified CT membranes offer a promising, eco-friendly, and reusable platform for practical oil spill remediation.

Tomato pruning residues were valorized as cellulose fibers using a mild and sustainable soda-pulping process. This approach achieved a high cellulose content exceeding 40% and fibers with a length of less than 0.55 mm. These cellulose fibers were incorporated into bio-based polyethylene (BioPE) to develop biocomposites that exhibited enhanced properties suitable for food packaging applications. The mechanical properties of the biocomposites were optimized by adjusting the concentration of the coupling agent (MAPE). A concentration of 9% MAPE yielded the highest tensile strength, attributed to improved interfacial adhesion, as confirmed by SEM analysis. Furthermore, the integration of tomato fiber (TF) demonstrated a positive impact on the mechanical properties, resulting in a 12% increase in tensile strength and a noteworthy 109% increase in flexural strength at a 40% TF loading in comparison to pure BioPE. The presence of TF significantly enhanced the water absorption capacity of the biocomposites, achieving a remarkable increase of 4000%, while maintaining the thermal stability of the polymer matrix. The lignin inherent in the fibers contributed to antioxidant properties and reduced bacterial adhesion, particularly against S. aureus and E. coli, with optimal results observed at intermediate fiber content levels of 20–30%. However, excessive fiber loading may lead to diminished heat seal resistance due to heterogeneity introduced in the polymer matrix. The findings indicate that TF-reinforced BioPE biocomposites represent a promising sustainable material for food packaging. These materials effectively combine improved mechanical performance, bioactivity, and environmental compatibility, positioning them as a viable alternative in the packaging industry.

Graphene materials can emit far-infrared radiance, and existing studies have confirmed that graphene far-infrared radiation can promote microcirculation and promote locomotor ability. To study the effects of graphene content and knitted fabric structure on exercise-induced muscle fatigue, 12 kinds of specimens were prepared, including 4 kinds of far-infrared nylon yarns with graphene content and 3 kinds of tissue structures. Subjects wore different knitted pants and muscle fatigue was induced through jogging, with rectus femoris muscle activity monitored via surface electromyography. Results demonstrated that graphene far-infrared nylon fiber knitted pants significantly reduced exercise-induced muscle fatigue, and the type of face yarn was the main factor affecting the degree of muscle exercise fatigue, and the sweatpants with graphene added had a low degree of muscle fatigue at the rectus femoris muscle, and the tissue structure would also affect the degree of muscle fatigue, the 1 + 3simulated rib showed better anti-fatigue effect due to the thicker structure. Among them, the sample with 0.4% graphene content performed the best, and its rectus femoris fatigue threshold reached 214.10 s, which was 21.5% higher than that of the pure nylon control group.

A yellow natural dye from wood extract of Arcangelisia flava (L.) Merr. was investigated to dye cotton fabrics. In the preliminary phytochemical screening, the aqueous extract of A. flava stem was found to contain tannins/phenolic compounds, flavonoids, alkaloids, and saponins. Several types of mordants such as alum (Al³⁺), lime (Ca²⁺), and ferrous sulfate (Fe³⁺) were used in the dyeing process using three different techniques: pre-mordanting, meta-mordanting, and post-mordanting. The colorimetric data (L^*, a^*, b^*) and color strength (K/S) were measured for the characterization of the dyeing result. Alum was found to be a good mordant to achieve the best results of a bright and desirable yellow color. In this research, the influence of alum mordant concentration on color parameters and wash fastness rating was also conducted. An increasing trend in the K/S value and wash fastness performance of dyed samples was observed: post-mordanting > meta-mordanting > pre-mordanting. The 20% alum post-mordanted sample shows the highest K/S value of 14.19. The post-mordanting method provides the best washing fastness properties compared to other mordanting methods in the range of 4–5 (color change) and 3 (staining change). The higher the concentration of alum tended to increase the color strength of samples in pre-mordanted samples. However, the variation of alum mordant concentration did not significantly influence the wash fastness of the dyed cotton fabrics.

Graphene not only provides functional finishing for fabrics, but also influences the original physical and mechanical properties of the fabrics, reducing their wearing properties. This study conducted graphene conductive finishing on acrylic/wool blended knitted fabrics using an oxidation–reduction method. The research focused on analyzing the reduction of graphene, fabric conductivity, thermal comfort, and hand feel of the fabric, while studying the effects of reduction temperature and time on electrical conductivity, thermal comfort, moisture absorption, breathability, and hand feel during the graphene process. The results revealed that a higher degree of graphene reduction led to lower surface resistance and enhanced electrical conductivity in the acrylic/wool blended knitted fabrics. The stability of the fabric structure and mechanical characteristics were also influenced by temperature and time, impacting comfort attributes. The reduction temperature and duration directly influenced the reduction degree of graphene, with the maximum reduction degree and lowest surface resistance observed at 75 °C and 90 min. Importantly, there was no significant degradation in the thermal comfort and tactility of the acrylic/wool blended knitted fabrics.

Here, we innovatively prepared a novel breathable, waterproof and windproof micro/nanofibrous membrane for a variety of potential applications, such as protective clothing, sports clothing, and filter media. The membrane consists of a thin layer of electrospun poly(vinylidene fluoride)/polyurethane nanofiber layer containing silica nanoparticles (PVDF/PU–SiO₂) over the hydrophobic polysulfone (PSF) hollow fiber layer. The effects of electrospinning time (3–5 h) and PSF hollow fiber layer grammage (1.5–2.5 g) on the breathability and barrier performance of micro/nanofibrous membrane were evaluated. Fabrication of uniform and bead-free PVDF/PU-SiO₂ nanofibers over the PSF hollow fiber layer was confirmed by electron microscopy. The resulting micro/nanofibrous membrane‐based clothing system was endowed with an increased water vapor transmission rate (WVTR) of 14,271 g/m²/day, suggesting its high breathability and body-generated moisture transferability. Benefiting from combining PVDF/PU–SiO₂ nanofibrous layer and microporous PSF hollow fiber membrane, significant waterproofness was achieved with high water contact angle (WCA) of 139° and hydrostatic pressure of 410 mmH₂O. In addition, exploring the windproof properties of developed micro/nanofibrous membrane revealed high air permeability value of 5.85 mL/cm²/s. Furthermore, the micro/nanofibrous membrane exhibits good physical and comfort properties, with a bending length and a crease recovery angle (CRA) of 14.43 cm and 115°, respectively. Unlike previous single-layer membranes, the developed bilayer PSF-PVDF/PU–SiO₂ micro/nanofibrous membrane leverages the microporous PSF hollow fiber layer to ensure structural integrity and moisture diffusion, while the PVDF/PU–SiO₂ nanofibers provide outstanding hydrophobic properties and precisely adjustable pore structure for improved barrier performance. This hierarchical design demonstrates great potential for advancing next-generation sports clothing technologies.

The increased use of sustainably sourced plant-based material in the development of 3D printing material has consequentially increased the industrial potential of locally produced plant-based waste in the GCC and wider Arab Peninsular region. As a result, waste sourced from olive trees, one of the most common trees in the region, can be repurposed for the aforementioned 3D printing applications. Furthermore, the use of an extruder to blend samples of commonly used polymers such as PLA and assorted filler material has made the creation of blended-material filaments for 3D printing possible. This study seeks to put the extrusion and testing processes as well as the viability of olive leaf waste as a blend material to the test through the preparation of multiple blending proportions, the variation of processing parameters, and the variation of testing parameters to ascertain the optimal process for the production of filaments of this nature as well as identify the most suited filament for 3D printing applications. The design of this study is modeled and analyzed using predictive Taguchi Analysis, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), and Grey Relational Analysis. The study points toward a blend proportion of 4% as being the optimum choice for the extrusion of a PLA-OL waste filament—this conclusion was reached after results from the tensile testing of 9 different runs pointed toward the 4% blend as being better able to extrude filaments that produced stronger mechanical properties. The study also identifies the strain rate of 2.5 mm/min as being the optimal strain rate under which tensile testing should be conducted to better gauge the strength of the filaments due to its correlation with better results across multiple mechanical properties, including Ultimate Tensile Strength, Young’s Modulus, and Toughness. The blend proportion was found to contribute the most toward the mechanical performance of the filaments, followed by the strain rate, and finally by the extrusion temperature.