Magnetothermal soft actuators from recycled face mask materials

Abstract

Polymeric soft actuators offer numerous advantages such as lightweight, compactness, safety and versatility, making them suitable for applications requiring delicate manipulation and adaptability. However, their susceptibility to wear and degradation results in a shorter service life compared to conventional metallic actuators, leading to increased waste generation. To address this issue, this paper presents a sustainable approach to utilising waste materials, specifically repurposing stretchable strings from used disposable facemasks, to create magnetic nanoparticles infused yarn actuators. An innovative infusion technique is presented to aid in the scalable manufacturing of high-volume magnetic yarn actuators. The developed actuators demonstrate magnetothermally induced linear actuation comparable to their virgin counterparts. The actuators are fabricated in different structures, including braided-straight, braided-twisted and braided-coiled, with the coiled configuration showing the highest actuation strain and straight yarn generating maximum stress. The technology also proves to be energy-efficient compared to the prior art, making it suitable for various applications including soft robotics, compliant exoskeletons, smart prostheses and e-textiles. Repurposing abundant waste materials into soft actuators offers a promising solution for managing waste generated from end-of-service soft devices.