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In this study, antistatic sheath-core composite fibers with the core composed of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) polymer and a sheath composed of carbon black/polybutylene terephthalate (CB/PBT) polymer were fabricated using a conjugate spinning process. CB powders of various particle sizes were compounded with PBT polymers to prepare the antistatic CB/PBT pellets, and their electrical resistivities strongly depended on the intrinsic properties and dispersion of CB powders. The CB/PBT/PET fibers consisted of well-mixed CB powders within the polymer matrix showed an outstanding antistatic function, and they were employed to manufacture an antistatic glove with commercial acrylic yarns for practical applications. The antistatic glove with a reliable washing fastness is capable of being used on capacitive touch panels of smart phones, tablets, and other wearable electronic devices. This approach offers new possibilities for a variety of textile applications requiring antistatic properties.

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Artificial antistatic fibers due to their low cost as well as providing desirable properties based on their constitutive components, have attracted considerable interests. In the present study, bicomponent antistatic fibers with various cross-sectional configurations (i.e. core/sheath and segmented-pie structures) were produced using the mixture of carbon black/dispersing agent/PBT and polyethylene terephthalate. To investigate their practical application, woven fabrics were produced and then examined upon their antistatic characteristics as well their thermal properties, wash durability and breaking strength and elongation. Moreover, the effect of dispersing agent during fiber spinning was examined. Among the produced fibers with different structural configuration, it was concluded that the core/sheath antistatic fibers exhibited higher breaking strength and elongation, as well as lower electrical resistivity. Rheological investigations based on the pressure tests indicated that the homogeneous distribution of the fillers (e.g. carbon black) within the polyester pellets is required for manufacturing the uniform fibers. Moreover, it was determined that surface resistivity of the fabrics could be kept unchangeable even after 20 times of washing, revealing their reliable wash durability. Finally, it was found out that the mixture of carbon black/dispersing agent/PBT provides such desirable conductivity; also, the fabrics comprised of fibers with core/sheath configuration could be a good candidate for antistatic applications within the textile industry.

Kenaf fibers (KFs) were utilized as reinforcements to prepare poly(butylene succinate-co-adipate) (PBSA) green composites. Untreated KFs of KF35 (large dimension) and KF120 (small dimension) imparted the nucleation effect for PBSA crystallization. KF120 exhibited superior nucleation efficiency compared with KF35. The tensile/flexural moduli of PBSA drastically increased after the addition of KF35 or KF120. Successful modifications of KF35 through NaOH(aq) and 3aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APS) were confirmed. The APS-treated KF (KF35AS) exhibited enhanced interaction with the PBSA matrix compared with NaOH-treated (KF35A) and untreated KF35. KF35A and KF35AS also facilitated the nucleation of PBSA crystallization. The KF35AS-incorporated composites exhibited the highest tensile/flexural moduli among the different KF-added systems at identical loadings. The tensile and flexural moduli increased to 629% and 360% (40 wt % loading), respectively, compared with PBSA. The enhanced interfacial interaction between KF35AS and PBSA lessened the negative influence of KFs on the thermal stability and water absorption of PBSA.

In this study, multi-component antistatic fibers with segmented pie structures were prepared by conjugate spinning of carbon black (CB)/polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) polymers. The antistatic property of the CB/PBT/PET fibers can be attributed to two factors: thorough mixing of the CB powder in the polymer matrix, and the close contacts formed between the segmented pie fibers. The fibers were woven and knitted into fabrics whose washing durability and antistatic properties were also tested. The surface resistivity of the woven and knitted fabrics did not change significantly (1.1 × 106 Ω/cm2 to 1.2 × 106 Ω/cm2) even after washing the fabrics 100 times. Thus, these fabrics can be used in a variety of applications that require antistatic materials.

Binary blends of cellulose acetate propionate (CAP) and poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT) in the composition range of 5–15 wt % for CAP were prepared in the form of films and fibers by compression molding and spinning, respectively. The presence of two invariant glass‐transition temperatures corresponding to the CAP and PBT components and viscosities lower than those of the neat PBT of the CAP–PBT blends implied that the CAP–PBT blends were immiscible. Moreover, the crystallinity of the PBT component was higher in the spun fibers than in the films; this was possibly due to the different cooling methods or the chain orientation in the spinning process. In the meantime, the CAP component could not undergo crystallization because of its rigid structure and alkyl substituents. For the CAP–PBT films, the amorphous CAP was present as dispersed particles in the PBT matrix; but it became rods in the spun fibers. In addition, the presence of the amorphous CAP resulted in a decrease in the tensile strength and an increase in the elongation at break for the CAP–PBT fibers. The CAP–PBT films and fibers could be applied in a wide range of applications requiring renewable properties. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2017, 134, 45013.