Abstract
Bioinspired by the spinning of spider silks, the biomimetic preparation of elastomeric fibers with micro/nano structures on the surfaces was attempted, and as a result, three types of ultrafine full-vulcanized powdered nitrile-butadiene rubber (UFPNBR)/thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) fibers were made. The first fiber was only decorated by the micron-sized grooves on the surface, and the second fiber was dotted by both the micron-sized grooves and nanometer-sized spheres on the surface, while the third fiber was helical and with a concave-convex surface. The biomimetic preparation mainly consisted of four steps, and the formation mechanism was described as an integrated mechanism of diffusion, coagulation, self assembly, and microphase separation. The micro/nano structures on the fibers were controlled by changing the mass ratio of UFPNBR to TPU and environment of vertical stretching. The UFPNBR/TPU elastomeric fibers were hoped to have an integrated function of superhydrophobicity, self cleaning, and mechanical improvement of toughness or strength.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 493-501 |
Number of pages | 9 |
Journal | Progress in Natural Science: Materials International |
Volume | 22 |
Issue number | 5 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Oct 2012 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Biomimetic preparation
- Elastomeric fiber
- Micro/nano structure
- Self assembly
- Spider silk