PEDOT/Polypyrrole Core-Sheath Fibers for Use as Conducting Polymer Artificial Muscles.

Electropolymerized polypyrrole (PPy) is considered as one of the promising polymers for use in ionic-electroactive or conducting polymer (CP) actuators. Its electromechanical properties surpass those of other prominent CPs such as poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT/PSS) or polyaniline. However, freestanding and linear contracting actuator fibers made solely of electropolymerized PPy are not available yet.

Flat-Knitted Double-Tube Structure Capacitive Pressure Sensors Integrated into Fingertips of Fully Fashioned Glove Intended for Therapeutic Use.

A therapeutic glove, which enables medical non-professionals to perform physiotherapeutic gripping and holding movements on patients, would significantly improve the healthcare situation in physiotherapy. The glove aims to detect the orthogonal pressure load and provide feedback to the user. The use of textile materials for the glove assures comfort and a good fit for the user.

Deflection and Performance Analysis of Shape Memory Alloy-Driven Fiber-Elastomer Composites with Anisotropic Structure.

Due to their advantageous characteristics, shape memory alloys (SMAs) are prominent representatives in smart materials. They can be used in application fields such as soft robotics, biomimetics, and medicine. Within this work, a fiber-elastomer composite with integrated SMA wire is developed and investigated.

In Situ ATR-FTIR Studies on the β-Sheet Formation of Native and Regenerated Silk Material in Solution and Its Potential for Drug Releasing Coatings.

Dynamic attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy at both solutions and coatings of a semicrystalline silk material derived from was applied to monitor the β-sheet conformation, which is known to correlate with silk protein crystallinity. The secondary structure-sensitive Amide I band was analyzed. Two silk protein samples were studied: native-based silk buffer fibroin (NSF) was extracted from silk glands and regenerated silk fibroin (RSF) was extracted from degummed cocoons.

Novel Weft-Knitted Strain Sensors for Motion Capture.

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) aims to improve the gait pattern in cases of weak foot dorsiflexion (foot lifter weakness) and, therefore, increase the liveability of people suffering from chronic diseases of the central nervous system, e.g., multiple sclerosis.

Electromechanical Properties of Silver-Plated Yarns and Their Relation to Yarn Construction Parameters.

For signal transmission and sensing in stretchable structures for human motion monitoring or proprioception of soft robots, textiles with electronically conductive yarns are a promising option. Many recent publications employ silver-plated yarns in knits, braids, wovens for strain or pressure sensing purposes as well as heating fabrics or twisted string actuators. Silver-plated yarns are available in a wide range of base materials, yarn counts and twists.

Advancing Smart Textiles: Structural Evolution of Knitted Piezoresistive Strain Sensors for Enabling Precise Motion Capture.

Recently, there has been remarkable progress in the development of smart textiles, especially knitted strain sensors, to achieve reliable sensor signals. Stable and reliable electro-mechanical properties of sensors are essential for using textile-based sensors in medical applications. However, the challenges associated with significant hysteresis and low gauge factor (GF) values remain for using strain sensors for motion capture.

Continuous Wet Spinning of Regenerated Silk Fibers from Spinning Dopes Containing 4% Fibroin Protein.

The wet spinning of fibers from regenerated silk fibroin has long been a research goal. Due to the degradation of the molecular structure of the fibroin protein during the preparation of the regenerated silk fibroin solution, fibroin concentrations with at least 10% protein content are required to achieve sufficient viscosity for wet spinning. In this study, a spinning dope formulation of regenerated silk fibroin is presented that shows a rheological behavior similar to that of native silk fibroin isolated from the glands of silkworm larvae.

Investigation of the Bonding Mechanism between Overlapping Textile Layers for FRP Repair Based on Dry Textile Patches.

Lots of damaged fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) components are replaced by new components instead of repairing. Furthermore, only very labor-intensive repair methods are available on the market to fully restore the integrity of the structure. This requires a high level of experience or, alternatively, very cost-intensive technology, such as the use of computer tomography and robotics.

Textile Design of an Intervertebral Disc Replacement Device from Silk Yarn.

Low back pain is often due to degeneration of the intervertebral discs (IVD). It is one of the most common age- and work-related problems in today's society. Current treatments are not able to efficiently restore the full function of the IVD.

Simulation of Tetrahedral Profiled Carbon Rovings for Concrete Reinforcements.

Textile reinforcements are increasingly establishing their position in the construction industry due to their high tensile properties and corrosion resistance for concrete applications. In contrast to ribbed monolithic steel bars with a defined form-fit effect, the conventional carbon rovings' bond force is transmitted primarily by an adhesive bond (material fit) between the textile surface and the surrounding concrete matrix. As a result, relatively large bonding lengths are required to transmit bond forces, resulting in inefficient material utilization.

Improved Tensile and Bond Properties through Novel Rod Constructions Based on the Braiding Technique for Non-Metallic Concrete Reinforcements.

Textile reinforcements have established themselves as a convincing alternative to conventional steel reinforcements in the building industry. In contrast to ribbed steel bars that ensure a stable mechanical interlock with concrete (form fit), the bonding force of smooth carbon rovings has so far been transmitted primarily by an adhesive bonding with the concrete matrix (material fit). However, this material fit does not enable the efficient use of the mechanical load capacity of the textile reinforcement.

Development of an Innovative Glass/Stainless Steel/Polyamide Commingled Yarn for Fiber-Metal Hybrid Composites.

Fiber-metal hybrid composites are widely used in high-tech industries due to their unique combination of mechanical, toughness and ductile properties. Currently, hybrid materials made of metals and high-performance fibers have been limited to layer-by-layer hybridization (fiber-metal laminates). However, layer-by-layer hybridization lacks in fiber to fiber mixing, resulting in poor inter-laminar interfaces.

Development of Porous-Polyacrylonitrile-Based Fibers Using Nanocellulose Additives as Precursor for Carbon Fiber Manufacturing.

Cellulose is a renewable and environmentally friendly raw material that has an important economic and technical impact in several applications. Recently, nanocellulose (NC) presented a promising road to support the manufacturing of functional carbon fibers (CFs), which are considered superior materials for several applications because of their outstanding properties. However, the smooth and limited effective surface areas make CFs virtually useless in some applications, such as energy storage.

Influence of Spinning Method on Shape Memory Effect of Thermoplastic Polyurethane Yarns.

Shape memory polymers are gaining increasing attention, especially in the medical field, due to their ability to recover high deformations, low activation temperatures, and relatively high actuation stress. Furthermore, shape memory polymers can be applied as fiber-based solutions for the development of smart devices used in many fields, e.g.

Bond Modification of Carbon Rovings through Profiling.

The load-bearing behavior and the performance of composites depends largely on the bond between the individual components. In reinforced concrete construction, the bond mechanisms are very well researched. In the case of carbon and textile reinforced concrete, however, there is still a need for research, especially since there is a greater number of influencing parameters.

DDX5 mRNA-targeting antisense oligonucleotide as a new promising therapeutic in combating castration-resistant prostate cancer.

The heat shock protein 27 (Hsp27) has emerged as a principal factor of the castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) progression. Also, an antisense oligonucleotide (ASO) against Hsp27 (OGX-427 or apatorsen) has been assessed in different clinical trials. Here, we illustrate that Hsp27 highly regulates the expression of the human DEAD-box protein 5 (DDX5), and we define DDX5 as a novel therapeutic target for CRPC treatment.

Recycling of Carbon Fibres and Subsequent Upcycling for the Production of 3D-CFRP Parts.

Carbon fibres (CF) are used in CF reinforced plastic (CFRP) components. However, waste from CF yarn trim, CFRP and the end of life (EOL) CFRP structures will cause a recycling challenge in the next decades because of strict environmental regulations. Currently, recycling is carried out almost entirely by the use of pyrolysis to regain CF as a valuable resource.

Hinged Adaptive Fiber-Rubber Composites Driven by Shape Memory Alloys-Development and Simulation.

Adaptive structures based on fiber-rubber composites with integrated Shape Memory Alloys are promising candidates for active deformation tasks in the fields of soft robotics and human-machine interactions. Solid-body hinges improve the deformation behavior of such composite structures. Textile technology enables the user to develop reinforcement fabrics with tailored properties suited for hinged actuation mechanisms.

Development of electrospun, biomimetic tympanic membrane implants with tunable mechanical and oscillatory properties for myringoplasty.

Most commonly, autologous grafts are used in tympanic membrane (TM) reconstruction. However, apart from the limited availability and the increased surgical risk, they cannot replicate the full functionality of the human TM properly. Hence, biomimetic synthetic TM implants have been developed in our project to overcome these drawbacks.

Pure Chitosan-Based Fibers Manufactured by a Wet Spinning Lab-Scale Process Using Ionic Liquids.

Ionic liquids offer alternative methods for the sustainable processing of natural biopolymers like chitosan. The ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate (BmimOAc) was successfully used for manufacturing of pure chitosan-based monofilaments by a wet spinning process at lab-scale. Commercial chitosan with 90% deacetylation degree was used for the preparation of spinning dopes with solids content of 4-8 wt.

Experimental and Numerical Analysis of the Deformation Behavior of Adaptive Fiber-Rubber Composites with Integrated Shape Memory Alloys.

Fiber-reinforced rubber composites with integrated shape memory alloy (SMA) actuator wires present a promising approach for the creation of soft and highly elastic structures with adaptive functionalities for usage in aerospace, robotic, or biomedical applications. In this work, the flat-knitting technology is used to develop glass-fiber-reinforced fabrics with tailored properties designed for active bending deformations. During the knitting process, the SMA wires are integrated into the textile and positioned with respect to their actuation task.

Integrated Temperature and Position Sensors in a Shape-Memory Driven Soft Actuator for Closed-Loop Control.

Soft actuators are a promising option for the advancing fields of human-machine interaction and dexterous robots in complex environments. Shape memory alloy wire actuators can be integrated into fiber rubber composites for highly deformable structures. For autonomous, closed-loop control of such systems, additional integrated sensors are necessary.

Thermo-Electro-Mechanical Characterization of PDMS-Based Dielectric Elastomer Actuators.

The present contribution aims towards a thermo-electro-mechanical characterization of dielectric elastomer actuators (DEA) based on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS). To this end, an experimental setup is proposed in order to evaluate the PDMS-based DEA behavior under the influence of various rates of mechanical loading, different ambient temperatures, and varying values of an applied electric voltage. To obtain mechanical, electro-mechanical and thermo-mechanical experimental data, the passive behavior of the material, as well as the material's response when electrically activated, was tested.