(165n) Multi-Layered Composite Fibers

Textile engineering has a broad application in biomedical, aerospace, energy storage, environmental sustainability, among many other areas. One important research area in textile engineering involves the manufacturing of fibers, namely, fiber spinning. The current fiber spinning of composites focuses on the blending of polymers and fillers. Much of the literature reports have concentrated on the dispersion quality optimizations. While effective in making nanoparticle-filled polymer composites, these traditional spinning find it challenging to place fillers at desirable locations selectively. For example, textiles with electrical conductivity depend on large amounts of conductive particles that go beyond the threshold for sufficient electron transport. However, the large amounts of filler addition in polymers usually cause bad dispersions and stress concentrations in close vicinity of nanoparticle chunks.

Our research will seek innovations in fiber spinning based on novel manufacturing mechanisms. For example, we 3D print complex spinneret that can allow multimaterial to be co-axially assembled. We are able to efficiently control the composition, morphology, and interfacial interactions among different layers. A few polymers, such as polyvinyl alcohol, polyacrylonitrile, and thermoplastic polyurethane, were used as examples. Nanoparticles of graphene and carbon nanotubes were used to reinforce the polymer fibers mechanically or functionally. Some of the fibers can serve as mechanically durable sensors with high sensitivity and selectivity to mechanical strains, chemical liquids or volatile compounds. The textile engineering exhibited in this project showed the potential of new manufacturing in fabricating new materials for new applications.