Research on the Development of Fibroin and Nano-Fiber from Silk Cocoons for Regenerated Tissue Engineering Applications by Electro-Spinning

In this paper, the main goal is to prepare silk fibroin nano-fiber, which is used for regenerated tissue applications. Silk scaffold nano-fibers made by electro-spinning technology can be used in regenerated tissue applications. The purpose of the research is to prepare a silk-fibroin nano-fiber solution for potential applications in tissue engineering. Using a degumming process, pure silk fibroin protein is extracted from silk cocoons. The protein solution for fibroin is purified, and the protein content is determined. The precise chemical composition, exact temperature, time, voltage, distance, ratio, and humidity all have a huge impact on degumming, solubility, and electro-spinning nano-fibers. The SEM investigates the morphology of silk fibroin nano-fibres at different magnifications. It also reveals the surface condition, fiber orientation, and fiber thickness of the silk fibroin nano-fiber. The results show that regenerated silk fibroin and nano-fiber can be used in silk fibroin scaffolds for various tissue engineering applications.

Multifunctional Nacre‑Like Nanocomposite Papers for Electromagnetic Interference Shielding via Heterocyclic Aramid/MXene Template‑Assisted In‑Situ Polypyrrole Assembly

Robust, ultra-flexible, and multifunctional MXene-basedelectromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding nanocomposite filmsexhibit enormous potential for applications in artificial intelligence,wireless telecommunication, and portable/wearable electronic equipment.In this work, a nacre-inspired multifunctional heterocyclic aramid(HA)/MXene@polypyrrole (PPy) (HMP) nanocomposite paper withlarge-scale, high strength, super toughness, and excellent tolerance tocomplex conditions is fabricated through the strategy of HA/MXenehydrogel template-assisted in-situ assembly of PPy. Benefiting from the"brick-and-mortar" layered structure and the strong hydrogen-bondinginteractions among MXene, HA, and PPy, the paper exhibits remarkable mechanical performances, including high tensile strength (309.7 MPa),outstanding toughness (57.6 MJ m−3), exceptional foldability, and structural stability against ultrasonication. By using the template effect ofHA/MXene to guide the assembly of conductive polymers, the synthesized paper obtains excellent electronic conductivity. More importantly,the highly continuous conductive path enables the nanocomposite paper to achieve a splendid EMI shielding effectiveness (EMI SE) of 54.1 dBat an ultra-thin thickness (25.4 μm) and a high specific EMI SE of 17,204.7 dB cm2g−1. In addition, the papers also have excellent applicationsin electromagnetic protection, electro-/photothermal de-icing, thermal therapy, and fire safety. These findings broaden the ideas for developinghigh-performance and multifunctional MXene-based films with enormous application potential in EMI shielding and thermal management.

Preparation of Carbon Nano-fiber Washcoat on Porous Silica Foam as Structured Catalyst Support

This paper reports how a hairy layer of carbon nano-fibers can be prepared on the macro-porous silica foam produced by the sphere templating method. Firstly, three-dimensional close-packed crystals of polystyrene spheres are assembled on porous disk substrate by vacuum filtration or evaporation. The polystyrene template is annealed slightly above the glass transition temperature in order to strengthen the colloidal crystal and ensure interconnection of the spheres so as to obtain porous materials with open structure. Following the treatment of hexdecyltrimethylammonium bromide, the polystyrene template is filled with silica colloidal solution, which solidifies in the cavities. Then the polystyrene particles are removed by calcination at 843K, leaving behind porous silica foam. Scanning electron microscopy images demonstrate that silica foam has uniform and open structured pores. Nickel particles were deposited on porous silica foam layer by the dipping method and porous carbon nano-fiber washcoat was prepared by catalytic decomposition of ethene over small nickel particles.

Spectra of spontaneous Raman scattering in taper-drawn micro/nano-fibers

We study the spontaneous Raman scattering （RS） in taper-drawn micro/nano-fibers （MNFs） by employing the photon counting technique. The spectra of RS in five MNFs, which are fabricated by using different heating flames （hydrogen flame or butane flame） and with different diameters, are measured within a frequency shift range of 1435 cm- 1_3200 cm- 1. From the measured spectra, we observe the RS peaks originated from silica and a unique RS peak with a frequency shift of - 2905 cm-1 （- 87.2 THz）. Unlike the former ones, the latter one is not observable in conventional optical fibers. Furthermore, the unique peak becomes obvious and starts to rapidly increase with the decrease of the diameter of MNFs when the diameter is smaller than 2 μm, and the intensity of the unique peak significantly depends on the heating flame used in the fabricating process. Our investigation is useful for the entanglement generation or optical sensing using taper-drawn MNFs.

Preparation of Carbon Nano-fiber Washcoat on Porous Silica Foam as Structured Catalyst Support

This paper reports how a hairy layer of carbon nano-fibers can be prepared on the macro-porous silica foam produced by the sphere templating method. Firstly, three-dimensional close-packed crystals of polystyrene spheres are assembled on porous disk substrate by vacuum filtration or evaporation. The polystyrene template is annealed slightly above the glass transition temperature in order to strengthen the colloidal crystal and ensure inter- connection of the spheres so as to obtain porous materials with open structure. Following the treatment of hexde- cyltrimethylammonium bromide, the polystyrene template is filled with silica colloidal solution, which solidifies in the cavities. Then the polystyrene particles are removed by calcination at 843K, leaving behind porous silica foam. Scanning electron microscopy images demonstrate that silica foam has uniform and open structured pores. Nickel particles were deposited on porous silica foam layer by the dipping method and porous carbon nano-fiber washcoat was prepared by catalytic decomposition of ethene over small nickel particles.

Ultra-broadband microwave absorber and high-performance pressure sensor based on aramid nanofiber,polypyrrole and nickel porous aerogel

Electronic devices have become ubiquitous in our daily lives,leading to a surge in the use of microwave absorbers and wearable sensor devices across various sectors.A prime example of this trend is the aramid nanofibers/polypyrrole/nickel(APN)aerogels,which serve dual roles as both microwave absorbers and pressure sensors.In this work,we focused on the preparation of aramid nanofibers/polypyrrole(AP15)aerogels,where the mass ratio of aramid nanofibers to pyrrole was 1:5.We employed the oxidative polymerization method for the preparation process.Following this,nickel was thermally evaporated onto the surface of the AP15 aerogels,resulting in the creation of an ultralight(9.35 mg·cm^(-3)).This aerogel exhibited a porous structure.The introduction of nickel into the aerogel aimed to enhance magnetic loss and adjust impedance matching,thereby improving electromagnetic wave absorption performance.The minimum reflection loss value achieved was-48.7 dB,and the maximum effective absorption bandwidth spanned 8.42 GHz with a thickness of 2.9 mm.These impressive metrics can be attributed to the three-dimensional network porous structure of the aerogel and perfect impedance matching.Moreover,the use of aramid nanofibers and a three-dimensional hole structure endowed the APN aerogels with good insulation,flame-retardant properties,and compression resilience.Even under a compression strain of 50%,the aerogel maintained its resilience over 500 cycles.The incorporation of polypyrrole and nickel particles further enhanced the conductivity of the aerogel.Consequently,the final APN aerogel sensor demonstrated high sensitivity(10.78 kPa-1)and thermal stability.In conclusion,the APN aerogels hold significant promise as ultra-broadband microwave absorbers and pressure sensors.

An energetic nano-fiber composite based on polystyrene and 1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazinane fabricated via electrospinning technique

Electrospinning is a simple technique used to fabricate polymeric nano-fibrous membranes.These nano-fibers have found a wide range of valuable applications in the biomedical field.However,it has not been utilized with solid high explosives yet.Herein,the electrospinning technique has been used to fabricate polystyrene(PS)/1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazinane(RDX)composite nanofibers.The governed electrospinning parameters,voltage,distance from the collector,flow rate,mandrel rotating speed,time,and solution concentration,that greatly affect the morphology of the obtained nanofibers were optimized.The fabricated PS/RDX nano-fibers were characterized using scanning electron microscopy(SEM),X-ray diffractometer(XRD),and Fourier Transform Infrared(FTIR)spectroscopy.The impact and friction sensitivities of PS/RDX were also measured.The thermal behavior of the prepared composite and the pure materials were studied by the thermal gravimetric analysis technique(TGA).SEM results proved the fabrication of PS/RDX fibers in the nano-size via electrospinning.FTIR spectroscopy confirmed the existence of the characteristic functional groups of both PS and RDX in the composite nano-fibers.XRD sharp peaks showed the conversion of amorphous PS into crystalline shape via electrospinning and also confirmed the formation of PS/RDX composite.The PS fibers absorbed the heat and increased the onset decomposition of the pure RDX from 181.5 to 200.7℃in the case of PS/RDX fibers.Interestingly,PS/RDX nano-fibers showed the relatively low impact and friction sensitivities of 100 J and 360 N respectively.These results could introduce PS/RDX nanofibrous composite in the field of explosives detection with high levels of safety.

Statistical Tensile Strength for High Strain Rate of Aramid and UHMWPE Fibers

Dynamic tensile impact properties of aramid (Technora) and UHMWPE (DC851) fiber bundles were studied at two high strain rates by means of reflecting type Split Hopkinson Bar, and stress-strain curves of fiber yarns at different strain rates were obtained. Experimental results show that the initial elastic modulus, failure strength and unstable strain of aramid fiber yarns are strain rate insensitive, whereas the initial elastic modulus and unstable strain of UHMWPE fiber yarns are strain rate sensitive. A fiber-bundle statistical constitutive equation was used to describe the tensile behavior of aramid and UHMWPE fiber bundles at high strain rates. The good consistency between the simulated results and experimental data indicates that the modified double Weibull function can represent the tensile strength distribution of aramid and UHMWPE fibers and the method of extracting Weibull parameters from fiber bundles stress-strain data is valid.

Super-Tough and Environmentally Stable Aramid Nanofiber@MXene Coaxial Fibers with Outstanding Electromagnetic Interference Shielding Efficiency

Although electrically conductive and hydrophilic MXene sheets are promising for multifunctional fibers and electronic textiles,it is still a challenge to simultaneously enhance both conductivity and mechanical properties of MXene fibers because of the high rigidity of MXene sheets and insufficient inter-sheet interactions.Herein,we demonstrate a core-shell wet-spinning methodology for fabricating highly conductive,super-tough,ultra-strong,and environmentally stable Ti_(3)C_(2)T_(x) MXene-based core-shell fibers with conductive MXene cores and tough aramid nanofiber(ANF)shells.The highly orientated and low-defect structure endows the ANF@MXene core-shell fiber with supertoughness of~48.1 MJ m^(-3),high strength of~502.9 MPa,and high conductivity of~3.0×10^(5)S m^(-1).The super-tough and conductive ANF@MXene fibers can be woven into textiles,exhibiting an excellent electromagnetic interference(EMI)shielding efficiency of 83.4 dB at a small thickness of 213μm.Importantly,the protection of the ANF shells provides the fibers with satisfactory cyclic stability under dynamic stretching and bending,and excellent resistance to acid,alkali,seawater,cryogenic and high temperatures,and fire.The oxidation resistance of the fibers is demonstrated by their wellmaintained EMI shielding performances.The multifunctional core-shell fibers would be highly promising in the fields of EMI shielding textiles,wearable electronics and aerospace.

Behavior of Aramid Fiber/Ultrahigh Molecular Weight Polyethylene Fiber Hybrid Composites under Charpy Impact and Ballistic Impact

The aramid fiber礥HMWPE (ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene) fiber hybrid composites (AF礑F) were ma-nufactured. By Charpy impact, the low velocity impact behavior of AF礑F composite was studied. And the high velocity impact behavior under ballistic impact was also investigated. The influence of hybrid ratio on the performances of low and high velocity impact was analyzed, and hybrid structures with good impact properties under low velocity impact and high velocity were optimized. For Charpy impact, the maximal impact load increased with the accretion of the AF layers for AF礑F hybrid composites. The total impact power was reduced with the decrease of DF layers and the delamination can result in the increase of total impact power. For ballistic impact, the DF ballistic performance was better than that of the AF and the hybrid ratio had a crucial influence. The failure morphology of AF礑F hybrid composite under Charpy impact and ballistic impact was analyzed. The AF礑F hybrid composites in suitable hybrid ratio could attain better performance than AF or DF composites.

Self-Exfoliation of Flake Graphite for Bioinspired Compositing with Aramid Nanofiber toward Integration of Mechanical and Thermoconductive Properties

Flexible yet highly thermoconductive materials are essential for the development of next-generation flexible electronic devices.Herein,we report a bioinspired nanostructured film with the integration of large ductility and high thermal conductivity based on self-exfoliated pristine graphene and three-dimensional aramid nanofiber network.A self-grinding strategy to directly exfoliate flake graphite into few-layer and few-defect pristine graphene is successfully developed through mutual shear friction between graphite particles,generating largely enhanced yield and productivity in comparison to normal liquid-based exfoliation strategies,such as ultrasonication,high-shear mixing and ball milling.Inspired by nacre,a new bioinspired layered structural design model containing three-dimensional nanofiber network is proposed and implemented with an interconnected aramid nanofiber network and high-loading graphene nanosheets by a developed continuous assembly strategy of sol-gel-film transformation.It is revealed that the bioinspired film not only exhibits nacre-like ductile deformation behavior by releasing the hidden length of curved aramid nanofibers,but also possesses good thermal transport ability by directionally conducting heat along pristine graphene nanosheets.

Investigation of the mechanical and ballistic properties of hybrid carbon/aramid woven laminates

High-performance ballistic fibers,such as aramid fiber and ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene(UHMWPE),are commonly used in anti-ballistic structures due to their low density,high tensile strength and high specific modulus.However,their low modulus in the thickness direction and insufficient shear strength limits their application in certain ballistic structure.In contrast,carbon fiber reinforced epoxy resin matrix composites(CFRP)have the characteristics of high modulus in the thickness direction and high shear resistance.However,carbon fibers are rarely used and applied for protection purposes.A hybridization with aramid fiber reinforced epoxy resin matrix composites(AFRP)and CFRP has the potential to improve the stiffness and the ballistic property of the typical ballistic fiber composites.The hybrid effects on the flexural property and ballistic performance of the hybrid CFRP/AFRP laminates were investigated.Through conducting mechanical property tests and ballistic tests,two sets of reliable simulation parameters for AFRP and CFRP were established using LS-DYNA software,respectively.The experimental results suggested that by increasing the content of CFRP that the flexural properties of hybrid CFRP/AFRP laminates were enhanced.The ballistic tests'results and the simulation illustrated that the specific energy absorption by the perforation method of CFRP achieved 77.7%of AFRP.When CFRP was on the striking face,the shear resistance of the laminates and the resistance force to the projectiles was promoted at the initial penetration stage.The proportion of fiber tensile failures in the AFRP layers was also enhanced with the addition of CFRP during the penetration process.These improvements resulted in the ballistic performance of hybrid CFRP/AFRP laminates was better than AFRP when the CFRP content was 20 wt%and 30 wt%.

Atmospheric air dielectric barrier discharge excited by nanosecond pulse and AC used for improving the hydrophilicity of aramid fibers

In this paper, a long line-shape dielectric barrier discharge excited by a nanosecond pulse and AC is generated in atmospheric air for the purpose of discussing the uniformity, stability and ability of aramid fiber treatment. The discharge images, waveforms of current and voltage,optical emission spectra, and gas temperatures of both discharges are compared. It is found that nanosecond pulsed discharge has a more uniform discharge morphology, higher energy efficiency and lower gas temperature, which indicates that nanosecond pulsed discharge is more suitable for surface modification. To reduce the water contact angle from 96° to about 60°, the energy cost is only about 1/7 compared with AC discharge. Scanning electron microscopy,Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy are employed to understand the mechanisms of hydrophilicity improvement.

Analysis and Control of Surface Delamination Defects During Milling of Orthogonal Aramid Fiber‑Reinforced Composites Laminates

The aramid fiber-reinforced composites(AFRC)can increase the durability of corresponding applications such as aerospace,automobile and other large structural parts,due to the improvement in hardness,heat build-up,wear properties and green environmental protection.However,because of its complex multiphase structure and unique heterogeneity and anisotropy,the poor compression fatigue resistance and the incident surface fibrillation are inevitable.To improve the assembly precision of AFRC,mechanical processing is necessary to meet the dimensional accuracy.This paper focuses on the influence of contour milling parameters on delamination defects during milling of AFRC laminates.A series of milling experiments are conducted and two different kinds of delamination defects including tearing delamination and uncut-off delamination are investigated.A computing method and model based on brittle fracture for the two different types of delamination are established.The results can be used for explaining the mechanism and regularity of delamination defects.The control strategy of delamination defects and evaluation method of finished surface integrity are further discussed.The results are meaningful to optimize cutting parameters,and provide a clear understanding of surface defects control.

Effects of Environment on Strengths of UHMWPE and Aramid Fiber

This paper is devoted on influences of acid-base,high and low temperature on strength of UHMWPE and aramid fiber, characterized by fracture strength, SEM's effects on fiber strength and surface morphology. It turns out to be that UHMWPE fiber has a superior acid-base, low temperature and light aging resistance property,with strength keeping above 90% in acid-base environment. Comparing with UHMWPE fiber, aramid fiber does well in mechanical properties, temperature resistant performances and alkali resistances at room temperature, with strength losing less than 10% in alkaline environment.

Effect of fibre orientations on the mechanical properties of kenaf–aramid hybrid composites for spall-liner application

This paper presents the effect of kenaf fibre orientation on the mechanical properties of kenaf–aramid hybrid composites for military vehicle's spall liner application. It was observed that the tensile strength of woven kenaf hybrid composite is almost 20.78% and 43.55% higher than that of UD and mat samples respectively. Charpy impact strength of woven kenaf composites is 19.78% and 52.07% higher than that of UD and mat kenaf hybrid composites respectively. Morphological examinations were carried out using scanning electron microscopy. The results of this study indicate that using kenaf in the form of woven structure could produce a hybrid composite material with high tensile strength and impact resistance properties.

Effect of the Weaving Density of Aramid Fabrics on Their Resistance to Ballistic Impacts

Two Heracron? woven fabrics, HT600-1 and HT600-2, were fabricated with different weaving densities and their resistance to ballistic impact was investigated. While HT600-1 was inherently stronger along the weft than HT600-2, the latter exhibited a higher tensile strength along the warp. Crimp values indicate that HT600-1, which possesses a relatively larger weft weaving density, induces an excess in the warp crimp ratio, thereby weakening the fabric along the warp. The dimensionless fiber property U*, which is defined as the product of the specific fiber toughness and the strain wave velocity, was calculated for each fabric. The U* values of HT600-1 were lower than those of HT600-2;U* values along the warp of HT600-1 were extremely low. These analyses show that HT600-2 exhibited improved ballistic properties over those of HT600-1. These findings further indicate the existence of an optimal weave that would minimize damage to both yarn and fabric. Establishing these optimal conditions can be crucial in implementing better ballistic properties into fabrics.

Plasma-induced graft polymerization on the surface of aramid fabrics with improved omniphobicity and washing durability

Durable superomniphobic surfaces are desirable for their practical applications,including selfcleaning,non-fouling,protective clothing and the separation of liquids.The plasma-induced polymerization of environmentally friendly C6 from a perfluoralkyl methlacrylate copolymer emulsion,AG-E081,was performed and a durable omniphobic fabric was achieved.C6 is an ecological alternative to C8(eight CF2 groups)fluorinated compounds,and it was thereafter successfully incorporated into aramid fabric to achieve a durable superomniphobic surface.The fabric became water and oil repellent with an extremely high water contact angle of 180°.As tested by the water spray AATCC test and hydrocarbon resistance test,the as-prepared fabric gained 100°(ISO 5)and grade number 4 respectively.Furthermore,the fabrics also showed significantly improved washing durability after ten washing cycles.By scanning electron microscopy(SEM),Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR)and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy(XPS)tests,it is indicated that the durable superomniphobicity can be attributed to the roughness and activation of the aramid surface by the plasma pre-treatment,which induces more adsorption and chemical graft of the C6 copolymer.

Statistical Constitutive Equation of Aramid Fiber Bundles

Tensile impact tests of aramid (Twaron) fiber bundles were carried out under high strain rates with a wide range of 0. 01/s -1 000/s by using MTS and bar-bar tensile impact apparatus. Based on the statistical constitutive model of fiber bundles, statistical constitutive equations of aramid fiber bundles are derived from statistical analysis of test data at different strain rates. Comparison between the theoretical predictions and experimental data indicates statistical constitutive equations fit well with the experimental data, and statistical constitutive equations of fiber bundles at different strain rates are valid.

Effects of ply orientation and material on the ballistic impact behavior of multilayer plain-weave aramid fabric targets

Virtual testing of fabric armor provides an efficient and inexpensive means of systematically studying the influence of various architectural and material parameters on the ballistic impact behavior of woven fabrics, before actual laboratory prototypes are woven and destructively tested. In this finite element study, the combined effects of individual ply orientations and material properties on the impact performance of multi-layered, non-stitched woven aramid fabrics are studied using 2-and 4-sided clamping configurations. Individual ply orientations of 0°, ±15°, ±30°, and ±45° are considered along with three levels of inter-yarn friction coefficient. Functionally graded fabric targets are also considered wherein the yarn stiffness progressively increases or decreases through the target thickness while keeping the yarn strain energy density constant and with all other material and architectural parameters unchanged for consistency. For each target configuration, one non-penetrating and one penetrating impact velocity is chosen. The impact performance is evaluated by the time taken to arrest the projectile and the backface deformation for the non-penetrating impacts, and by the residual velocity for the penetrating impact tests. All deterministic impact simulations are performed using LS-DYNA. 2-sided clamped targets and lower inter-yarn frictional levels generally resulted in better impact performance.The functionally graded targets generally showed either similar or inferior impact performance than the baseline fabric target configurations for the non-penetrating shots. Some performance improvements were observed for the penetrating shots when the yarn stiffness was progressively decreased through the layers in a direction away from the strike face, with additional performance enhancements achieved by simultaneously reducing the inter-yarn friction.