Polymer optical fibers for textile applications – Bicomponent melt spinning from cyclic olefin polymer and structural characteristics revealed by wide angle X-ray diffraction

Radical Stitching Polymerization and Its Alternating Copolymerization

Polymers possessing saturated fused polycycles in the main chain repeating unit have been underexplored despite their potential utility based on their expected properties such as high rigidity, chemical resistance, transparency, and thermal stability. In this regard, herein, we developed a radical stitching polymerization of styryl vinyl ketones for the synthesis of polyketones possessing saturated fused bicyclic repeating units. The polymerization proceeded smoothly with a high degree of stitching efficiency in a chain-growth manner under free radical conditions. This method was further extended to the alternating copolymerization of styryl vinyl ketones and 1-styryl-2-vinylbenzenes, representing the first alternating stitching copolymerization of two different monomers. The obtained polymers were found to show promising thermal properties and high transparency in the visible light region.

Soft Fiber/Textile Actuators: From Design Strategies to Diverse Applications

Fiber/textile-based actuators have garnered considerable attention due to their distinctive attributes, encompassing higher degrees of freedom, intriguing deformations, and enhanced adaptability to complex structures. Recent studies highlight the development of advanced fibers and textiles, expanding the application scope of fiber/textile-based actuators across diverse emerging fields. Unlike sheet-like soft actuators, fibers/textiles with intricate structures exhibit versatile movements, such as contraction, coiling, bending, and folding, achieved through adjustable strain and stroke. In this review article, we provide a timely and comprehensive overview of fiber/textile actuators, including structures, fabrication methods, actuation principles, and applications. After discussing the hierarchical structure and deformation of the fiber/textile actuator, we discuss various spinning strategies, detailing the merits and drawbacks of each. Next, we present the actuation principles of fiber/fabric actuators, along with common external stimuli. In addition, we provide a summary of the emerging applications of fiber/textile actuators. Concluding with an assessment of existing challenges and future opportunities, this review aims to provide a valuable perspective on the enticing realm of fiber/textile-based actuators.

Effects of Nanoscale Morphology on Optical Properties of Photoluminescent Polymer Optical Fibers

Bicomponent photoluminescent polymer optical fibers (PL-POFs) have been melt-spun and in-situ drawn to different extents. The results suggest that scattering in the sheath can effectively increase the photoluminescent dye excitation probability in the fiber core. The core/sheath PL-POFs are made of a semi-crystalline fluoropolymer sheath of low refractive index (RI) and an amorphous cycloolefin polymeric core of high RI, which is doped with a luminescent dye. The axial light emission, as well as the guiding attenuation coefficients of the core/sheath PL-POFs, have been measured using a side-illumination set-up. The incident blue laser is down-converted to red light, which is re-emitted and partially guided by the core. The axial light emission is measured at the fiber tip as a function of the distance of the illumination position to the integrating sphere. It is demonstrated that the presence of a semi-crystalline sheath significantly enhances the axial light emission and that it also lowers the attenuation coefficient, compared to the emission and guiding properties of PL core-only fibers. Additionally, the attenuation coefficient has been found to be lower in more strongly drawn PL-POFs. Wide-angle X-ray diffraction and small-angle X-ray scattering experiments reveal structural differences in differently drawn PL-POFs that can be linked to the observed differences in the optical properties.

Anionic stitching polymerization of styryl(vinyl)silanes for the synthesis of sila-cyclic olefin polymers

Anionic stitching polymerization of styryl(vinyl)silanes has been developed for the synthesis of a new type of silicon- and carbon-containing polymer possessing fused sila-bicyclic structures in the main chain. The obtained polymers were found to be thermally stable with relatively high glass-transition temperatures and highly transparent in the visible light region.

Melt‐Extruded Sensory Fibers for Electronic Textiles

Textile‐based flexible sensors are key to the development of personal wearable electronic devices and systems for a wide range of applications including physiological monitoring, communication, and entertainment. Textiles, for their many desirable characteristics and use, offer a natural interface between electronics and the human body. A wide range of fabrication techniques have been explored for textile‐based sensors; however, most are not compatible or readily adaptable to textile manufacturing processes. Here, a practical and scalable method of producing textile‐based sensory fibers using a common manufacturing technique, melt extrusion, is proposed. An overview of the fabrication method as well as the mechanical and electrical properties of the fibers is presented. Subsequently, the fibers’ ability to sense changes in pressure is studied in detail using assembled fibers. Methods to improve the sensor performance by altering the geometry of the fiber assembly are also presented. As a proof‐of‐concept demonstration, the fibers are woven into a pressure‐sensing fabric mat consisting of 64 sensing elements. The woven substrate can detect the location and level of pressure, thereby illustrating the fibers' potential use as sensors in textile structures.

Melt-Spun Photoluminescent Polymer Optical Fibers for Color-Tunable Textile Illumination

The increasing interest in luminescent waveguides, applied as light concentrators, sensing elements, or decorative illuminating systems, is fostering efforts to further expand their functionality. Yarns and textiles based on a combination of distinct melt-spun polymer optical fibers (POFs), doped with individual luminescent dyes, can be beneficial for such applications since they enable easy tuning of the color of emitted light. Based on the energy transfer occurring between differently dyed filaments within a yarn or textile, the collective emission properties of such assemblies are adjustable over a wide range. The presented study demonstrates this effect using multicolor, meltspun, and photoluminescent POFs to measure their superimposed photoluminescent emission spectra. By varying the concentration of luminophores in yarn and fabric composition, the overall color of the resulting photoluminescent textiles can be tailored by the recapturing of light escaping from individual POFs. The ensuing color space is a mean to address the needs of specific applications, such as decorative elements and textile illumination by UV down-conversion.

Textile-integrated polymer optical fibers for healthcare and medical applications

With ever growing interest in far-reaching solutions for pervasive healthcare and medicine, polymer optical fibers have been rendered into textile forms. Having both fiber-optic functionalities and traditional fabric-like comfort, textile-integrated polymer optical fibers have been advocated to remove the technical barriers for long-term uninterrupted health monitoring and treatment. In this context, this paper spotlights and reviews the recently developed textile-integrated polymer optical fibers in conjunction with fabrication techniques, applications in long-term continuous health monitoring and treatment, and future perspectives in the vision of mobile health (mHealth), as well as the introductory basics of polymer optical fibers. It is designed to serve as a topical guidepost for scientists and engineers on this highly interdisciplinary and rapidly growing topic.

Melt-Spun Fibers for Textile Applications

Textiles have a very long history, but they are far from becoming outdated. They gain new importance in technical applications, and man-made fibers are at the center of this ongoing innovation. The development of high-tech textiles relies on enhancements of fiber raw materials and processing techniques. Today, melt spinning of polymers is the most commonly used method for manufacturing commercial fibers, due to the simplicity of the production line, high spinning velocities, low production cost and environmental friendliness. Topics covered in this review are established and novel polymers, additives and processes used in melt spinning. In addition, fundamental questions regarding fiber morphologies, structure-property relationships, as well as flow and draw instabilities are addressed. Multicomponent melt-spinning, where several functionalities can be combined in one fiber, is also discussed. Finally, textile applications and melt-spun fiber specialties are presented, which emphasize how ongoing research efforts keep the high value of fibers and textiles alive.

Influence of Myrrh Extracts on the Properties of PLA Films and Melt-Spun Multifilament Yarns

A possible approach for providing new properties for textiles is the insertion of natural ingredients into the textile product during the process of its manufacture. Myrrh has long been used in medicine as an antibacterial and antifungal material. Polylactide (PLA) is a thermoplastic synthetic biopolymer obtained from renewable resources-and due its biodegradability, is also widely used in medicine. In this study, films and multifilament yarns from modified biodegradable PLA granules with ethanolic and aqueous myrrh extracts were developed and characterized. Optical microscopy was used to determine the surface morphology of PLA/myrrh multifilament yarns. Tensile tests, ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were applied to determine, consequently, mechanical, optical properties and degree of crystallinity of PLA/myrrh films and multifilament yarns. The chemical composition of PLA/myrrh multifilament yarns was estimated by Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy method. The results showed that it is possible to form PLA melt-spun multifilament yarns with myrrh extract. The type of myrrh extract (ethanolic or aqueous) has a significant influence on the mechanical and optical properties of the PLA films and melt-spun yarns. The mechanical properties of PLA films and melt-spun multifilament yarns formed from PLA granules with aqueous myrrh extract decreased 19% and 21% more than PLA with ethanolic extract, respectively. Analysis of UV-vis spectra showed that, due to the yellow hue, the reflectance of PLA films and melt-spun PLA multifilament yarns modified with myrrh extracts decreased exponentially. The DSC test showed that multifilament yarns from PLA modified with aqueous extract had the highest degree of crystallization.

Experimental determination and ray-tracing simulation of bending losses in melt-spun polymer optical fibres

The damping properties and specifically the bend losses of polymer optical fibres (POFs) have so far only been documented by experimental work, investigating bending parameters such as bending radius, length, and distance of the bends. Even though damping mechanisms and causes are well-known, no simple, generally valid formula exists. Here, a simulation technique is shown that allows producing an optical model for any bending geometries of melt-spun polymer optical fibres. The developed model takes all relevant loss mechanisms into account, especially regarding the scattering losses at the interface of core and cladding as well as those of the cladding-air interface. The latter is caused by interfacial roughness for which experimental data have been obtained by atomic force microscopy measurements. To show the validity of the simulation, the model is compared to experimental results for several fibres and a variety of geometries. The variance between model and experimental data is low (S < 4.6%). The model not only contributes to improving the understanding of the optical properties of POFs, but it also has direct applicability to the design of photonic textile sensors for medicine, where the fibres are incorporated with small bending radii.

Fabricating Fibers of a Porous-Polystyrene Shell and Particle-Loaded Core

Polystyrene (PS) polymers have broad applications in protective packaging for food shipping, containers, lids, bottles, trays, tumblers, disposable cutlery and the making of models. Currently, most PS products, such as foams, are not accepted for recycling due to a low density in the porous structure. This poses a challenge for logistics as well as creating a lack of incentive to invest in high-value products. This study, however, demonstrated the use of a dry-jet wet-spinning technique to manufacture continuous PS fibers enabled by an in-house designed and developed spinning apparatus. The manufactured fibers showed porosity in the shell and the capability to load particles in their core, a structure with high potential use in environmentally relevant applications such as water treatment or CO2 collections. A two-phase liquid-state microstructure was first achieved via a co-axial spinneret. Following coagulation procedures and heat treatment, phase-separation-based selective dissolution successfully generated the porous-shell/particle-core fibers. The pore size and density were controlled by the porogen (i.e., PEG) concentrations and examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Fiber formation dynamics were studied via rheology tests and gelation measurements. The shell components were characterized by tensile tests, thermogravimetric analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry for mechanical durability and thermal stability analyses.

X-ray data from a cyclic tensile study of melt-spun poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) P3HB fibers: A reversible mesophase

Wide-angle x-ray diffraction (WAXD) patterns that show mesophases in core-sheath bicomponent fibers and amorphous fibers are presented in section 1.1 of the article. Section 1.2 presents molecular dynamics simulations and scattered intensity calculations of stretched P3HB chains. Sections 1.3–1.6 summarize WAXD and small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) data analysis from a tensile study of melt-spun P3HB fibers. Azimuthal profiles are extracted from 2D WAXD patterns at various angular regions and the positions of equatorial reflections and corresponding d-spacings are summarized. Additionally, the extracted structural parameters from SAXS images are summarized. The tensile stress calculations, crystal orientation calculations, applied intensity corrections, calculations of long spacings, coherence lengths and lamellar diameters are explained in the methods subsections 2.3.1–2.3.7. WAXD and SAXS measurements of P3HB fibers were recorded on a Bruker Nanostar U diffractometer (Bruker AXS, Karlsruhe, Germany). The recorded WAXD/SAXS patterns were analyzed with the evaluation software DIFFRAC.EVA (version 4.2., Bruker AXS, Karlsruhe, Germany) and python codes. For more information see ‘Tensile study of melt-spun poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) P3HB fibers: Reversible transformation of a highly oriented phase’ (Perret et al., 2019).

Body-monitoring with photonic textiles: a reflective heartbeat sensor based on polymer optical fibres

Knowledge of an individual's skin condition is important for pressure ulcer prevention. Detecting early changes in skin through perfusion, oxygen saturation values, and pressure on tissue and subsequent therapeutic intervention could increase patients' quality of life drastically. However, most existing sensing options create additional risk of ulcer development due to further pressure on and chafing of the skin. Here, as a first component, we present a flexible, photonic textile-based sensor for the continuous monitoring of the heartbeat and blood flow. Polymer optical fibres (POFs) are melt-spun continuously and characterized optically and mechanically before being embroidered. The resulting sensor shows flexibility when embroidered into a moisture-wicking fabric, and withstands disinfection with hospital-type laundry cycles. Additionally, the new sensor textile shows a lower static coefficient of friction (COF) than conventionally used bedsheets in both dry and sweaty conditions versus a skin model. Finally, we demonstrate the functionality of our sensor by measuring the heartbeat at the forehead in reflection mode and comparing it with commercial finger photoplethysmography for several subjects. Our results will allow the development of flexible, individualized, and fully textile-integrated wearable sensors for sensitive skin conditions and general long-term monitoring of patients with risk for pressure ulcer.