Research & Development
Student Spotlight: Performance of carbon fiber nonwoven composites in crash tests
Sai Aditya Pradeep is pursuing a Ph.D. in Automotive Engineering in the Materials and Manufacturing Specialization at Clemson University where he is conducting research on the scalable production of thermoplastic nano-cellular foams via supercritical fluid assisted injection molding. Another important area of Pradeep’s research is the characterization of recycled nonwoven carbon fiber composites and development …
Student Spotlight: Morphological structure of wool from different breeds
Subhadeep Paul is pursuing his Ph.D. in Technical Textiles at the Technical Textiles Research Centre, University of Huddersfield. Paul came to Huddersfield after completing his undergraduate and master’s degrees in Textile Engineering and Textile Chemistry, respectively, in India. In his master’s project, Paul developed a multi-functional protective textile that could be used as a UV-resistant, …
Graphene offers significant promise for fiber applications of the future
Graphene is a wonder that I believe represents the next phase of nanoevolution. It is, in fact, my new favorite material. Graphene is one single atomic layer of carbon. Graphite is many layers of graphene stacked. Separating the layers in graphite by various processes (termed exfoliation) is the way most commercially available graphene is made. …
Student Spotlight: Electrospun biomaterials
Allison Fetz is pursuing a Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering at the University of Memphis, where she is conducting research on electrospun biomaterials within the Tissue Template Engineering and Regeneration Laboratory, a joint program by the Dept. of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Memphis and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Fetz’s research is …
New liquid crystal polyester filament yarns
By Kota Nakamura, Ryosuke Sakae, Hisatoshi Tanaka and Munekazu Matoba, Toray Industries, Japan
Liquid crystal polyester (LCP) filament yarns made from thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer are a type of “super fiber,” which include para-aramid and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE).Since the mass production of LCP filament yarns began in the 1990s, demand has expanded owing to their unique characteristics, such as high tenacity, high modulus, low water absorption and heat resistance.