Copyright © 2022 Foshan MBRT Nanofiberlabs Technology Co., Ltd All rights reserved.Site Map
In the field of materials science and engineering, the pursuit of smart and responsive materials has stimulated innovations in various fields. In this paradigm, fibrous structures have emerged as multifunctional platforms that show remarkable adaptability to external stimuli. Fibrous structures such as woven, nonwoven, knitted, and electrospun fibrous structures have attracted the attention of researchers, paving the way for a new era of responsive materials.
Fibrous structures refer to a collection of fibrous elements, either filaments or fibers, which together form a functional structure. These structures present linear or elongated forms ranging from macroscale to nanoscale. Relevant examples considered in this review include traditional textile-derived woven, knitted, and nonwoven fabrics, as well as emerging fiber processing methods in the field, such as electrospun fibrous structures.
The main point of this paper
Types of fabrics and their manufacturing methods:
Woven fabrics: Made by vertical interweaving of warp and weft yarns, it is the most popular fabric formation technology.
Knitted fabrics: Made by forming loops in the width or length of the fabric, divided into three basic knitted structures: single thread, rib and interlock.
Nonwoven fabrics: Made of unrestricted fibers, produced by bonding or interlacing, or a combination of both, which can be achieved by various methods such as mechanical, chemical, thermal or solvent induction.
Factors affecting fabric properties:
Fiber type (such as cotton, polyester, etc.).
Yarn properties (such as staple fiber, filament, textured yarn, etc.).
Fiber structure (such as woven, knitted, etc.).
Chemical and physical finishing processes (such as waterproof finishing, flame retardant finishing, heat setting, shearing and calendering).
Electrospinning structure:
Composed of ultra-thin fibers, produced by the electrospinning process, with nano to micron-sized fibers, high aspect ratio, high porosity and small but interconnected pores.
The properties of the structure, such as porosity, surface morphology and mechanical strength, can be customized by adjusting the electrospinning parameters.
Applications of electrospun structures:
Filtration, thermal insulation, protective clothing, sensors, wound dressings and tissue scaffolds.
Smart fiber structures:
Structures have the functions of sensing, driving, adapting and communicating, and can respond to environmental conditions or stimuli.
Examples include shape memory fiber structures, color-changing fiber structures, temperature regulating fiber structures, waterproof and breathable structures, and self-cleaning fiber structures.
Electronic smart fiber structures integrate technologies such as physiological sensors to achieve functions such as safety monitoring.
Stimulus source:
Responsive fiber structures can respond to a variety of stimuli, including temperature, light, pH, electricity and compounds, triggering physical or chemical changes.
Processing method:
Integrate reactive materials into fiber structures through methods such as weaving, electrospinning and coating.
Responsive material type:
Includes shape memory materials, temperature responsive polymers, color-changing materials, phase change materials and photothermal materials.
Impact performance:
The response can be manifested as pore regulation, permeability change, shape change, color change and thermal regulation.
Review focus:
Focus on the study of fiber structures that respond to temperature, light and pH.
Temperature-responsive nanofibers:
Prepared by electrospinning process, it has application prospects in biomedicine, sensing detection, separation and purification and automation.
Development of smart fiber devices:
Smart fiber devices such as sensors, actuators, optical fibers and energy harvesters are functionalized by controlling the molecular structure of silk fibroin SF.
The interest in responsive fiber structures as smart materials has gained popularity in recent decades. Fiber structures, such as woven, nonwoven, knitted, and indeed electrospun structures, when made responsive, find enhanced value in applications across different industries, including fashion, biomedicine, automotive, civil engineering, and filtration technology.
Responsive fiber structures are able to sense and adapt to external stimuli. These stimuli include temperature, light, pH, humidity, electricity, magnetism, biological agents, chemical products, and pressure. Temperature responsiveness in fiber structures, facilitated by materials such as PCMs and thermochromics, is a well-explored avenue, while other stimuli such as light and pH offer promising opportunities for further innovation. PCMs and thermochromics have already made significant progress in industrial applications as temperature-responsive elements. However, this review has illustrated the great potential of SMPs and thermoresponsive polymers integrated into fiber structures. While SMPs offer an important prospect, for applications in smart textiles, for example, their utilization is somewhat limited by the relatively high temperature requirements to trigger the shape memory effect.
