Wettability Control in Tree Structure-Based 1D Fiber Assemblies for Moisture Wicking Functionality

Abstract

One of the fundamental properties of natural systems is their water transport ability, and living systems have efficient moisture management features. Here, a unique structure, inspired by the water transfer behavior in trees, was designed for one-dimensional (1D) fiber assemblies. In this 1D fiber assembly structure, a differential capillary effect enabling rapid water transfer at the interface between traditional cotton fibers and electrospun nanofibers was explored. A tree-like structure yarn was constructed successfully by novel electrospinning technology, and the effect was quantitatively controlled by precisely regulating the fibers’ wettability. Fabrics based on these tree-like core-spun yarns possessed advanced moisture-wicking performance, a high one-way transport index (R) of 1034.5%, and a desirable overall moisture management capability of 0.88, which are over two times higher than those of conventional fabrics. This moisture-wicking regime endowed these 1D fiber assemblies with unique water transfer channels, providing a new strategy for moisture-heat transmission, microfluidics, and biosensor applications.

Electrospun nanofiber/cotton composite yarn with enhanced moisture management ability

“…Based on the fiber density, the weight content was converted into the volume content. According to the references we reported previously, 25,26 the distance between the fibers in the yarns was calculated. When calculating the distance between fibers, the solid volume fraction (SVF) of the yarn should be calculated.…”

“…Textiles produced from these membranes were able to pull the liquid moisture away from the skin, showing a spontaneous and directional water transport property. Mao et al 25,26 reported a corespun yarn prepared by coating cotton yarns with electrospun nanofibers. Fabrics woven by these yarns showed a good moisture-wicking function such that water could be transported outside of the cloth effectively.…”

Review on Development and Application of 3D-Printing Technology in Textile and Fashion Design

“…3DP techniques have been widely used in e-textiles because they can accurately and rapidly print functional complex structures [64][65][66]. For instance, Zhang et al [67] fabricated a core-sheath fiber-based smart pattern on textile substrate by ink printing with a coaxial spinneret, which consisted of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as the conductive core and silk fibroin (SF) as the dielectric sheath, as shown in Figure 3a.…”

River Branch Inspired Janus Textile with Moisture Wicking and UV Resistant Properties

“…Cai et al (Fan et al 2020)prepared a 3D transport fabric with advanced water transport property by coating discontinuous hydrophobic pattern on inner side and discontinuous superhydrophilic pattern on outer side. Qin et al (Mao et al 2019)fabricated one-dimensional (1D) ber with controllable water transport performance by combining tree-like structure design and material optimization together. Unfortunately, few researches on synergistic effect of heat dissipation and water evaporation have been reported.…”