SCIENTIFIC EDUCATIONAL CENTER science idea

< Back

Materials that can be deformed and then returned to their original state at will, such as shape memory alloys, can be of great value for aerospace, robotics, and other applications.

Now researchers at Harvard University have created a new smart textile. Made from the remnants of wool products, the programmable material can be bent in response to stimuli and returned to its original shape, with a team of scientists imagining how to use it in shape-changing garments that adapt to different scenarios.

The starting point for this new shape-changing material is a fibrous protein found in hair, nails, and shells called keratin, which can also be found in wool. Keratin has some useful properties for materials scientists, because as a single chain, it forms a spiral structure called the alpha helix.

Connect them in sufficient quantity and you will get a strong large fiber with shape memory characteristics. As the material stretches, the spirals unfold and new bonds are formed that create stable sheets. The material remains this way until it is exposed to stimuli that will return the spirals to their original shape.

"With this project, we have shown that we can not only process wool, but also create things from recycled wool that we didn't even know about before," says Keith Parker, senior author of the paper.

The team of scientists started by 3D printing keratin sheets of various shapes, programming them as "permanent" States by placing them in a solution of hydrogen peroxide and monosodium phosphate. From there, materials can be temporarily shaped in response to various stimuli.

In one experiment, scientists permanently fixed a keratin leaf in the form of a complex origami star. However, when the star was submerged in water, it unfolded and assumed a pliable shape, which allowed it to be folded into a dense tube, which, as the leaf dried, became its own stable and functional structure. The tube was then placed back in the water, causing it to unfold and fold back into the original origami star.

"This two-step process of 3D printing a material and then setting its permanent shapes allows you to produce really complex shapes with structural features up to the micron level," the scientists say. "This makes the material suitable for a wide range of applications from textiles to fabric engineering."

Researchers are coming up with some interesting ways to use the new shape-changing material. They say it can be used to make bras of customizable Cup shapes and sizes, one-size-fits-all t-shirts, or clothing with vents that open when exposed to moisture.

The study was published in the journal Nature Materials.

 

ab-news.ru