A core-spun yarn containing an ultrafine copper wire for wearable electronics-oriented applications has been manufactured using a modified vortex spinning system for the first time. The copper wire is fed into the spinning nozzle through a groove on the surface of the top front roller and an orifice through the fiber guiding member in sequence. Scanning electron micrographs confirm that the copper wire locates in the core region and is tightly wrapped by the helical staple fibers of the outer layer in the core-spun yarn, owing to the special yarn formation mechanism of the vortex spinning system. The vortex core-spun yarn containing a copper wire has a strength higher by 86.6% and a breaking extension lower by 70.2% compared to the copper wire, while its strain sensitivity in the workable strain range is not affected by either the yarn manufacturing process or the existence of staple fibers. The vortex core-spun yarn containing a metal wire could be a promising candidate for the conductive tracks of wearable electronics due to its improved structure, durability, and comfort.
A discrete model is used to simulate the bending instability phenomenon in electrospinning. The simulation results show that the shape of the instability region is an expanding spiral. As the perimeter of the spiral loops increased, the cross-sectional diameter of the jet forming the loop grew smaller. The simulation results correspond well to the experimental data.
This article reports on the design, fabrication, and characterization of an in-pipe worm-like soft robot with pneumatic actuators based on origami paper-fabric composites in which the paper and fabric serve as the skeleton and skin of the robot, respectively. The robot is assembled with an extensor of a bellow-like structure for implementing peristaltic locomotion and a clamp fabricated using a Kresling crease pattern at each end of the robot for anchoring. The performances of the pneumatic actuators, as well as the worm robot, are characterized and their dependence on some material, structural, and pneumatic parameters are investigated. Stepwise inflation of the clamp actuator takes place as the pressurization duration increases. The extension ratio of the extensor has a nonlinear relationship with the pressurization duration. The higher rigidity of the paper with a high weight per unit area can facilitate faster retention near the end of the extension process for the extensor with a small number of creases, while it becomes a resistance for the extension of the extensor with a large number of creases. The softness, lightweight features, low cost, ease to fabricate, modular design, and mobility of the worm robot indicate it has potential to find application in pipeline inspection, etc.
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