Heated deformable fabric appears
Time：
2023/02/27
According to the paper published in the new issue of Advanced Materials, the new textiles developed by researchers from the University of Alto in Finland and the University of Cambridge in the UK will change shape when heated, which provides designers with a wide range of choices. This responsive smart fabric can help monitor people's health, improve thermal insulation performance, and also provide a new tool for interior design.
The new fabric "weaves" the old technology and the new method together. Liquid crystal elastomer (LCE) can react to heat, light or other reactions, and has been used as a film for soft robots, but has not been made into textiles. Now, the research team uses LCE yarn and traditional textile technology to produce various woven fabrics, including plain, satin, twill and weft rib.
The team made two versions of each pattern with soft or hard LCE yarn, and then tested the response of different fabrics to the heat emitted by infrared light. All LCE fabrics will shrink when they are preheated. These changes are reversible. As the temperature decreases, the pattern changes back to its original shape.
The researchers said that the elasticity of the two LCE yarns was equivalent to that of spandex, and even softer. They combine LCE yarn with linen and nylon in a radial pattern to weave a circle. Heating the pattern will cause the LCE yarn to shrink, and the fabric will automatically pull up to form a cone. When it cools, it relaxes into a flat circle. This proof-of-concept research brings intelligent and responsive textiles closer to reality.
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