Spinning Technology Research Articles

Development of Eco-Friendly Soy Protein Fiber: A Comprehensive Critical Review and Prospects

In the first half of the twentieth century, scientific communities worldwide endeavored to diminish dependence on expensive and scarce animal fibers like wool and silk. Their efforts focused on developing regenerated protein fibers, including soy, zein, and casein, to provide comparable benefits to natural protein fibers, such as lustrous appearance, warmth, and a soft feel. The popularity and cost-effectiveness of mass-produced petroleum-based synthetic polymer fibers during World War II diminished interest in developing soy protein fiber. Realizing the ecological degradation caused by fossil fuels and their derived products, a renewed drive exists to explore bio-based waste materials like soy protein. As a fast-growing crop, soy provides abundant byproducts with opportunities for waste valorization. The soybean oil extraction process produces soy protein as a byproduct, which is a highly tunable biopolymer. Various functional groups within the soy protein structure enable it to acquire different valuable properties. This review critically examines scholarly publications addressing soy protein fiber developmental history, soy protein microstructure modification methods, and soy protein fiber spinning technologies. Additionally, we provide our scientific-based views relevant to overcoming the limitations of previous work and share prospects to make soy protein byproducts viable textile fibers.

Examining the wound healing potential of curcumin-infused electrospun nanofibers from polyglutamic acid and gum arabic

Advancements in medicine have led to continuous enhancements and innovations in wound dressing materials, making them pivotal in medical care. We used natural biological macromolecules, γ-polyglutamic acid and gum arabic as primary raw materials to create nanofibers laden with curcumin by blending electrostatic spinning technology in the current investigation. These nanofibers were meticulously characterized using fluorescence microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Our comprehensive analyses confirmed the successful encapsulation of curcumin within the nanofiber carrier and it has uniform diameter, good water absorption and mechanical properties. Subsequently, we evaluated the antimicrobial effects of these curcumin-loaded nanofibers against Staphylococcus aureus through an oscillating flask method. We created a mouse model with acute full-thickness skin defects to further investigate the wound healing potential. We conducted various biochemical assays to elucidate the mechanism of action. The results revealed that curcumin nanofibers profoundly impacted wound healing. They bolstered the expression of TGF-β1 and VEGF and reduced the expression of inflammatory factors, leading to an accelerated re-epithelialization process, enhanced wound contraction, and increased regeneration of new blood vessels and hair follicles. Furthermore, these nanofibers positively influenced the proportion of three different collagen types. This comprehensive study underscores the remarkable potential of curcumin-loaded nanofibers to facilitate wound healing and lays a robust experimental foundation for developing innovative, natural product-based wound dressings.

Preparation of Antibacterial Biobased Fibers by Triaxial Microfluidic Spinning Technology Using Ionic Liquids as the Solvents.

Bacterial infections have become a serious threat to public health. The utilization of antibacterial textiles offers an effective way to combat bacterial infections at the source, instead of relying solely on antibiotic consumption. Herein, efficient and durable antibacterial fibers based on quercetin and cellulose were prepared by a triaxial microfluidic spinning technology using ionic liquids (ILs) as the solvents. It was indicated that the structure and properties of the antibacterial fibers were affected by the type of IL and the flow rates during the triaxial microfluidic spinning process. Quercetin regenerated from [Emim]Ac underwent structural transformation and obtained an increased water solubility, while quercetin regenerated from [Emim]DEP remained unchanged, which was proven by FI-IR, XRD, and UV analyses. Furthermore, antibacterial fibers regenerated from [Emim]Ac exhibited the highest antibacterial activity of 96.9% against S. aureus, achieved by reducing the inner-to-outer flow rate ratio to 0 and concentrating quercetin at the center of fibers. On the other hand, when [Emim]DEP was used as the solvent, balancing the inner-to-outer flow rate ratio to concentrate quercetin in the middle layer of the fiber was optimal for achieving the best antibacterial activity of 93.3% because it promised both the higher encapsulation efficiency and release rate. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) mathematically predicted the solvent exchange process during triaxial spinning, explaining the influence of IL types and flow rates on quercetin distribution and encapsulation efficiency. It was indicated that optimizing the distribution of antibacterial agents within the fibers can fully unleash its antibacterial potential while preserving the mechanical properties of the fiber. Therefore, the proposed simple triaxial spinning strategy provides valuable insights into the design of biomedical materials.

All-Polymeric stretchable conductive fiber with versatile intelligent wearable applications via microfluidic spinning technology

It remains a great challenge to fabricate all-polymer stretchable conductive fibers simultaneously presenting high mechanical robustness, high stretchability, and high conductivity through convenient and fast process, even though they exhibit great application potential in the intelligent wearable fields in replacement of the traditional metal wires or the liquid metal-based conductive fibers. In this paper, an all-polymeric fiber with core–shell structure is continuously produced through co-axial microfluidic spinning strategy. The composition of the fluids and the processing parameters of MST are regulated to adjust the size of the obtained PU@PEDOT:PSS fiber, and then optimizing its electric properties and the mechanical performances. The polyurethane (PU) elastic shell layer and the H2SO4-doped PEDOT:PSS conductive core provide the obtained composite fiber with a high conductivity exceeding 220 S m−1, as well as an impressive stretchability up to above 400 % strain, thus endowing it with versatile intelligent wearable applications, including the super-sensitive strain sensor for human motions monitoring, textile-based triboelectric nanogenerator for self-powered impact sensing, and the electro-thermal conversion fabric for keep warming.

Nanofiber films based on anthocyanins for quantitative detection of pathogenic bacteria

Pathogenic microbial infections have been regarded as one of the serious factors triggering serious food poisoning and infectious disease outbreaks. Therefore, early detection of pathogenic bacteria is of great importance for food safety, environmental monitoring, and clinical diagnosis. Here, nanofiber sensing films for the visual detection of S. aureus concentrations using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as a substrate and anthocyanin as an indicator material were prepared by electrostatic spinning technology. To avoid the loss of dye migration and side effects on the bacteria during the contact detection method, the headspace method was used to detect the concentration of bacteria. The results show that the fiber films can monitor S. aureus at 2 × 102 cfu/mL (ΔE = 7.6) by headspace. Scatter density matrix and correlation analysis yielded that the b* value of the film was the main factor in the variation of bacterial concentrations. Combined with a support vector machine (SVM) supervised learning algorithm for non-linear data, the model was trained to accurately classify S. aureus concentrations with an accuracy of 91%, which is important for accurately controlling pathogenic bacteria and safeguarding human health.

Tensile Properties of Different Yarn Structures Based on Recycled Carbon Fibre for Sustainable Thermoset Composites

The development of different hybrid yarn structures from recycled carbon fibre (rCF) (rCF content approx. 50% by weight) and thermoplastic fibres for thermoplastic composites has been reported earlier. However, manufacturing of yarns with high rCF content (>90%) required for thermoset composites is still not realizable due to high shortening (≥ 70%) in fibre length of rCF, which occurs during different processing steps of spinning. The reason lies in low shear strength, smooth fibre surface, small diameter and high brittleness of rCF. In addition to this, lack of crimp in rCF leads to drafting error during drawing and spinning process. Therefore, there is a high demand on rCF yarns for thermoset composites, as around 70% of composites are produced based on thermoset matrix. In this paper, yarns consisting of staple rCF with high rCF content (>90 weight%) are developed on DREF-friction spinning and wrap spinning technologies. For the production of yarns, slivers with different rCF content are produced using carding and drawing machine. The effect of different spinning parameters suction air pressure for DREF friction spun yarns and yarn twist for wrap spun yarns is investigated and their effect on tensile properties of yarn is analysed. The results show that the tensile properties of yarns can be adjusted to a wide range varying the yarn structure and spinning parameters.

Astragaloside/PVP/PLA nanofiber functional dressing prepared by coaxial electrostatic spinning technology for promoting diabetic wound healing

Diabetic wound is often a chronic wound with complex healing process and long healing time. It is evident that conventional dressings are inadequate in promoting the healing of diabetic wounds. In this study, a novel nanofiber dressing, produced through coaxial electrostatic spinning technology, was created to facilitate the healing of diabetic chronic wounds. This dressing was composed of Astragaloside (AS), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and polylactic acid (PLA). The morphology of the nanofiber dressing was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Confirmation of the core–shell structure was done with the help of transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). A pharmacodynamic study was conducted both in vivo and in vitro. It was shown that the nanofibers were approximately 604.83 ± 127.96 nm and with a core–shell structure. Additionally, in vitro drug release experiments revealed that the coaxial AS/PVP/PLA nanofiber functional dressings had a first rapid and then slow release property. Antioxidant activity experiment showed that the free radical scavenging rate of Astragaloside-loaded nanofibers reached 61 %. Mechanical tests also indicated that the nanofibers had an elastic modulus of 38.37 ± 1.81 MPa. Coaxial AS/PVP/PLA nanofiber functional dressings had good antimicrobial activity, and its diameter of the circle of inhibition against Staphylococcus aureus was 17.17 ± 2.04 mm, and its diameter of the circle of inhibition against Escherichia coli was 6.80 ± 0.78 mm. In addition, the findings of in vitro cellular tests showed that coaxial AS/PVP/PLA nanofiber functional dressings could promote the multiplication, adhesion and the migration ability of L929 fibroblasts with better biocompatibility. Finally, the wound healing rate of diabetic rats in the coaxial AS/PVP/PLA nanofiber functional dressing group was 96.54 ± 0.29 % on day 14. Consequently, the coaxial AS/PVP/PLA nanofiber functional dressings prepared by coaxial electrostatic spinning technique had satisfactory morphology, met the requirements of performance, and had the potential to be developed as a dressing for improving diabetic chronic wound healing.

Pullulan nanofibrous films incorporated with W/O emulsions via microfluidic solution blow spinning technology

In this work, pullulan (PUL) nanofibrous films incorporated with water-in-oil emulsions (PE) were prepared by microfluidic blowing spinning (MBS). The microstructures of nanofibers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). With the addition of W/O emulsions, the thermal stability, mechanical, and water barrier properties of PUL nanofibers were improved. Increases in emulsion content significantly affected the antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of nanofibrous films. ABTS and DPPH free radical scavenging rates increased from 10.26 % and 8.57 % to 60.66 % and 57.54 %, respectively. The inhibition zone of PE nanofibers against E. coli and S. aureus increased from 11.00 to 20.00 and from 15.67 to 21.17 mm, respectively. In addition, we investigated the freshness effectiveness of PE nanofibrous films on fresh-cut apples. PE nanofibrous films significantly maintained the firmness, and reduced the weight loss and browning index of the fresh-cut apple, throughout the 4 days of storage. Thus, the PE nanofibrous films exhibited good potential to prolong the shelf life of fresh-cut fruit and promote the development of active food packaging.

Research progress of thermoregulating textiles based on spinning of organic phase change fiber of energy storage

Thermal energy storage can contribute to the reduction of carbon emissions, motivating the applications in aerospace, construction, textiles and so on. Phase change materials have been investigated extensively in the field of high-performance intelligent thermoregulating fabrics for energy storage. Advances toward fibers or fabrics for thermo regulation are developed, but leakage of phase change medium is a concern when directly coated or filled with fibers or fabrics. Thus, different spinning methods have appeared to integrate phase change materials into copolymer fiber to prepare phase change fiber. The present review has been divided into three parts and first deals with spinning technologies such as wet spinning, melt spinning, electrostatic spinning, and centrifugal spinning with the thermal properties and mechanical properties of phase change fiber. Among them, the phase change medium loading in the phase change fiber with wet spinning is up to 70 wt.%, while the fiber strength is below 2.12 cN/dtex. In contrast, phase change fiber prepared by melt spinning achieves a breaking strength of up to 37.31 cN/dtex, but with an enthalpy of only 8.48 kJ/kg. Considering electrostatic spinning, not only enthalpies are satisfactory but the fiber diameters are mostly below 1000 nm, matching with the softness requirement for fabric. Moreover, centrifugal spinning enables efficient production of phase change fiber of large enthalpy by controlling spinning parameters such as rotational speed and spinning fluid concentration. The second part reports that the thermal management effects of different intelligent thermo regulating fabrics are evaluated by designed experiments or simulations to investigate further the more comfortable conditions of thermal comfort of humans. Simulation and experimental results show that the energy storage of smart fabrics extends the time duration of thermal comfort by more than 300 s. In the last part, multifunctional intelligent thermoregulating fabrics are systematically discussed, such as light and heat response, ultraviolet resistance, air permeability, and water resistance. Practical applications of phase change fibers and intelligent thermoregulating fabrics should be further studied and broadened in the future.

Implementation of Spinning Machine Technology for Purun Rope and Business Management Development for the "Nasti Purun" Weaving Group in Serdang Bedagai

Community Service Activities for the Purun Weaving Group aim to enhance the quality of products and marketing for the "Nasti Purun" Purun Weaving Group in the Cinta Air Village, Perbaungan District, Serdang Bedagai Regency, as well as support the government's enterprise development program. Several production technologies within the "Nasti Purun" Purun Weaving Group in Serdang Bedagai are currently conducted manually, particularly the process of making Purun rope bags. The spinning of Purun rope still involves the use of hands and feet, causing discomfort, fatigue, and even injury to the workers' hands and feet. The "Nasti Purun" Purun Weaving Group in Serdang Bedagai is in dire need of a Purun rope spinning machine. The specific objective of this activity is the acquisition of a Purun rope spinning machine and providing appropriate marketing methods along with basic accounting. The implementation method is carried out comprehensively, beginning with the application of Purun rope spinning technology and proper business management development, expanding the market area using online marketing (digital marketing) as an effort towards achieving one of the SDGs objectives, Decent Work and Economic Growth. This aims to enhance inclusive and sustainable economic growth, as well as decent work for all. These activities can have a positive impact not only on the target community but also on the university.

Computer Aided Engineering in the application of rotational forming of axially asymmetric geometries

The research presents the results of an innovative metal forming technology: ‘axially asymmetric metal spinning’. Special attention was paid to the influence of two forming conditions: Constant Contact (CC) and Tangential Contact (TC). The influence of Constant Contact and Tangential Contact were examined and compared. The term Constant Contact was used to describe a forming zone fixed at a certain height. This attribute was defined as naturally occurring in axially symmetrical metal spinning. The term Tangential Contact was used as the opposite to Constant Contact. Tangential Contact was used to describe the phenomena of movement of the forming zone. This attribute was defined as naturally occurring in axially asymmetric metal spinning. For the purpose of comparison, an asymmetric mandrel was manufactured, for which two trajectories were engineered. The trajectories were designed with the CC and TC conditions. The Finite Element Method was used to conduct metal forming simulation in simufact.forming software. Experimental trials were performed on the spinning machine MWS—200. Aluminium Alloy 1050 A was used in the FEM and experimental tests. The geometry measurement was performed using an ATOS 3D scanner and GOM Inspect software. The measurement of residual stresses was performed on a Proto iXRD® diffractometer. After determining the specific requirements of the innovative axially asymmetric spinning technology, a special computer program, called RoMeFo, was created. RoMeFo’s purpose was to engineer the trajectory with the TC condition for the mandrel’s full height. Depending on the method used, details with the following heights were manufactured in the experimental trials: CC—22 mm, TC—30 mm and RoMeFo—60 mm.

A novel approach to produce neppy yarn in vortex spinning technology

A novel, cost-effective method for producing neppy yarn using the vortex spinning process was presented in this research. The vortex and ring spinning processes were utilized to produce 26/1 Ne neppy yarn from viscose rayon as a host fiber and polyester as a neppy fiber in three different ratios (98/2, 97/3, and 96/4). It was explored that neppy yarn produced by the vortex spinning system is aesthetically more appealing as it has very low hairiness, fewer coefficient of variation (CV%), and minimal thick and thin places compared to ring-spun neppy yarn. However, the count strength product (CSP) of the vortex-spun neppy yarn is comparatively lower than that of the ring-spun neppy yarn. The close engagement of the neppy fibers to the mother yarn in a vortex spinning system increased the neppy yarn’s aesthetic beauty and strengthened its endurance was a significant discovery of this study. The hairiness value of neppy yarns was measured numerically and evaluated statistically with one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and found significant differences between the two-spinning system. The adoption of the vortex spinning technique presents novel approaches for manufacturing neppy yarn, with potential advantages for the textile industry such as enhanced yarn quality, greater productivity, fewer machinery requirements, and ultimate cost-effectiveness.

Implantable celecoxib nanofibers made by electrospinning: fabrication and characterization.

Background: Osteoarthritis causes tremendous damage to the joints, reducing the quality of life and imposing significant financial burden. An implantable drug-delivery system can improve the symptomatic manifestations with low doses and frequencies. However, the free drug has short retention in the joint cavity. Materials & methods: This study used electrostatic spinning technology to create an implantable drug-delivery system loaded with celecoxib (celecoxib nanofibers [Cel-NFs]) to improve retention and bioavailability. Results: Cel-NFs exhibited good formability, hydrophilicity and tensile properties. Cel-NFs were able to continuously release drugs for 2 weeks and increase the uptake capacity of Raw 264.7 cells, ultimately ameliorating symptoms in osteoarthritis rats. Conclusion: These results suggest that Cel-NFs can effectively ameliorate cartilage damage, reduce joint pain and alleviate osteoarthritis progression.

Review—Electrostatic Spinning for Manufacturing Sensitive Layers of Flexible Sensors and Their Structural Design

Electrostatic spinning technology is widely used in the manufacturing of flexible sensors. It is a mature and reliable method to fabricate nanofibers with tailorable fiber diameter surface microstructure like porosities and specific surface areas. Based on these properties, the electrically conductive composite nanofiber mats achieved by functionalizing nanofibers with active conductive nanomaterials are used as a sensitive layer for flexible sensors with tunable sensing performance. However, it is crucial to select suitable materials and optimal electrospinning technology, as well as design of the sensitive layer structure, for tuning the mechano-electrical performance of flexible sensors. This paper first reviews the current methods for the fabrication of flexible sensors with a focus on preparation method based electrospinning technology. Then, we introduce in detail the types and properties of common substrate materials and conductive fillers used to make sensor sensitive layers, with emphasis on the design of sensitive layer structures for the properties of the materials themselves. Finally, there is a summary of improvements and derivations based on the traditional electrospinning technologies that have been reported in recent years. It is hoped that this review will provide both references and inspiration for researchers in the field of flexible sensors.

Anti-adhesive and antibacterial chitosan/PEO nanofiber dressings with high breathability for promoting wound healing

Wound dressings are crucial for wound healing. Ideal wound dressings should possess many functions such as wettability, antibacterial activity and anti-adherent property to promote wound healing. In the present study solution blown spinning (SBS) technology was applied to prepare chitosan/polyethylene oxide (CS/PEO) nanofiber dressings in high efficiency. The obtained nanofiber dressings were treated with anhydrous ethanol to improve the fiber structure and enhance the functionality of the fiber dressings. The results show that the treated nanofibers had higher crystallinities and higher CS contents. The CS/PEO nanofiber dressings fabricated by using no additives and crosslinking had excellent wettability, water stability and antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus reached to over 99.99 %. In addition, the CS/PEO nanofiber dressings exhibited high breathability, antioxidant activity and anti-adhesion function. The in vivo animal experiment confirmed that the nanofiber dressings enhanced cell proliferation and significantly accelerated the wound healing within 10 days. The developed CS/PEO nanofiber dressings have great potential in the clinical field of wound healing.

Compact spinning: a comprehensive review of the revolution in yarn manufacturing

Compact spinning has emerged as a contemporary spinning technology that has garnered significant attention due to its capacity to produce yarns with excellent properties. The strategy is a variation of conventional ring spinning that seeks to get rid of the spinning triangle while improving the uniformity, strength, and hairiness of the yarn. In compact spinning, fiber condensation is achieved by negative pressure airflow, which compresses the fibers and reduces their thickness. This results in a higher packing density of the fibers, leading to stronger and more uniform yarns. In this article, we provide a comprehensive overview of compact spinning technology, covering its principle, fiber condensation method, and the types of machines used. The quality of the yarn is greatly influenced by various systems and parameters such as lattice apron, air suction slot geometry, airflow fields, and twist mechanism employed in compact spinning. We present a compendium of the various developments established in studies on compact spinning, which could serve as a platform for developing new techniques in compact spinning for the production of high-quality yarns with low economic burdens. This review discusses compact spinning, two main systems, machines, influential parameters/peripherals, disadvantages, and the future prospects of compact spinning. Additionally, we provide a summary of previous research on compact spinning, highlighting its benefits and advantages over traditional ring spinning. Furthermore, we discuss the impact of guiding devices and lattice apron type on yarn quality. We also explore the potential of three-dimensional (3D) printing technology in enhancing the performance and design of compact spinning machines.

Experimental investigation of mechanical and comfort properties of banana/cotton blended woven fabrics

Purpose Through this study, four different types of woven fabric structures were created by using cotton/banana blends with a 70:30 ratio by varying the weaving specifications. This study aims to investigate the comfort and mechanical properties of these woven materials. Design/methodology/approach Taguchi L16 experimental design (5 factors and 4 levels) with response surface methodology tool was used to optimize mechanical and comfort characteristics. The yarn samples used in this study are cotton/banana with a blend ratio of 70:30. Fabric type (A), grams per square metre (GSM; B), yarn count (C), fabric thickness (D) and cloth cover factor (E) are the chosen process characteristics. Findings The highest tensile strength and tearing strength of the cotton/banana blended fabric samples were obtained as 326.3 N and 90.3 k.gf/cm, respectively. Similarly, the highest thermal conductivity and overall moisture management capacity values were found to be 0.6628 and 3.06 W/mK X10−4, respectively. The optimized process parameters for obtaining maximum mechanical properties were using canvas fabric structure, 182 GSM, 36s Ne yarn count, 0.48 mm fabric thickness and 23.5 cloth cover factor. Similarly, the optimized process parameters for obtaining maximum comfort properties were achieved using a twill fabric structure, 182 GSM, 32s Ne yarn count, 0.4 mm fabric thickness and 23 cloth cover factor. Originality/value In contrast to synthetic fabrics, banana fibre and its blended materials are significant ecological solutions for apparel and functional clothing. Products made from banana fibre are a sustainable and green alternative to conventional fabrics. Banana fibre obtained from the pseudostem of the plant has an appearance similar to ramie and bamboo fibres. Numerous studies showed that banana fibre could absorb significant moisture and be spun into yarn through ring and rotor spinning technology. On the other hand, this fibre can be easily combined with cotton, jute, wool and synthetic fibre. The present utilization of pseudostem of banana plant fibre is very minimal. This type of research improves the usability of bananas their blended fabrics as apparel and functional wear.

One-dimensional Bi2MoO6 nanosheets/TiO2 hollow tubes:Controllable synthesis and enhanced visible photocatalytic activity

By electrostatic spinning technology combined with solvothermal method, Bi2MoO6 nanosheets were loaded on TiO2 hollow tubes, and Bi2MoO6/TiO2 nanocomposite photocatalytic materials were successfully prepared. The products were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM),X-ray diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy (UV–vis) and photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL). The results show that the lamellar Bi2MoO6 nanostructures were successfully grown on TiO2 hollow tubes. The photocatalytic experiments showed that the Bi2MoO6/TiO2 nanocomposites exhibited higher visible light photocatalytic activity than both pure TiO2 and pure Bi2MoO6, which may be due to the effective photogenerated electron-hole separation generated by the Bi2MoO6/TiO2 heterojunction, the photocatalytic degradation of detetracycline, doxycycline and aureomycin by Bi2MoO6/TiO2 photocatalytic system was also compared. In addition, the Bi2MoO6/TiO2 photocatalyst maintained good photocatalytic performance after five cycles, and it was demonstrated by the capture experiments that the superoxide radical played a dominant role in the photocatalytic degradation process, and the contributions of light-generated holes and hydroxyl radicals were approximately the same, and the possible mechanism of its photocatalytic system was proposed.

Scalable absorber with tuneable water supply fabricated via centrifugal spinning for highly efficient and stable solar-driven interfacial desalination

Although realising tuneable water supply in photothermal evaporation is an effective way to boost solar-driven interfacial evaporation for water desalination, simultaneously achieving continuous water transport and appropriate water content in evaporators remains a significant challenge. To address this challenge, centrifugal spinning technology is proposed herein to fabricate a scalable, flexible and stable photothermal evaporator from a hydrophilic (polyacrylonitrile, (PAN)) and hydrophobic polymer medium (polyurethane, (PU)). Efficient water management can be realised by tuning the parameters of polymer materials to permit vapour escape and achieve salt resistance. In addition, the arched design of the evaporator allows for omnidirectional evaporation, which enhances the photothermal conversion efficiency. The scalable centrifugal spinning nonwoven membrane-based arched evaporator prepared at the optimal hydrophilic–hydrophobic polymer ratio (21 wt% PAN and 2 wt% PU) after polypyrrole modification (PPy/21PAN/2PU CSMAE) offers a highly efficient evaporation rate of 1.82 kg m−2 h−1 with photothermal efficiency of 97.33 % under 1-sun illumination and excellent salt resistance against high-salinity brine (10 wt%). Thus, the unique properties of centrifugal spinning technology enable the large-scale preparation application of multicomponent polymeric materials for realising tuneable water supply in solar-driven interfacial evaporation and desalination.

Preparation of eGaIn NDs/TPU Composites for X-ray Radiation Shielding Based on Electrostatic Spinning Technology.

Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) composites with eutectic gallium (Ga) and indium (In) (eGaIn) fillings of 0 wt%-75 wt% were prepared using the electrostatic spinning method. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy were used to characterize the eGaIn NDs/TPU composites. To evaluate their X-ray shielding properties, Phy-X/PSD and WinXCom were employed to calculate the mass attenuation coefficients, linear attenuation coefficients, half-value layers, tenth value layers, mean free paths, and adequate atomic numbers of the eGaIn NDs/TPU composites. The SEM results indicated that the eGaIn nanodroplets were evenly distributed throughout the TPU fibers, and the flowable eGaIn was well-suited for interfacial compatibility with the TPU. A comparison of the eGaIn NDs/TPU composites with different content levels showed that the composite with 75 wt% eGaIn had the highest μm at all the evaluated energies, indicating a superior ability to attenuate X-rays. This non-toxic, lightweight, and flexible composite is a potential material for shielding against medical diagnostic X-rays.