Hair-thin Polymer Fiber Lifts Up To 30 Grams

2023 Author : Hannah Pearcy | [email protected] . Last modified: 2023-06-05 00:21

A fiber discovered by the research team at the University of Bayreuth is as thin as a human hair weighs less than a fruit fly and is still very strong, as Prof. Dr. Andreas Greiner, holder of the Chair of Macromolecular Chemistry II at the University of Bayreuth, who led the research, explains: "The fiber can lift a weight of 30 grams without tearing. This is about 150,000 times the weight of a fruit fly Experiments with the high tensile strength of these fibers show their exceptional toughness, which means that each individual fiber can absorb a lot of energy. " Together with researchers at Forschungszentrum Jülich, at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, at the Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS, at RWTH Aachen,polymer fibers were characterized by Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, and ETH Zurich. The scientists present their results in the journal "Science".

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Fiber with a diameter of 40,000 nanometers

The chemical basis of these fibers is polyacrylonitrile. A single fiber, which has a diameter of around 40,000 nanometers, in turn consists of up to 4,000 ultra-thin fibrils. These fibrils are linked by small amounts of an additive. Three-dimensional X-ray images show that the fibrils within the fiber are arranged almost without exception in the same longitudinal direction. “We prepared these polymer fibers in a laboratory for electro spinning at the University of Bayreuth and tested them extensively for their properties and behavior. We were always fascinated by the unique strength combined with high toughness,”reports the Bayreuth polymer scientist Prof. Dr. Seema Agarwal.

Development of high-performance functional materials

The polymer fibers can be used for technical components that are exposed to high loads. Applications in a wide variety of areas are conceivable, for example in the textile industry or medical technology, in automobile construction or in the aerospace industry. In addition, the polymer fibers are easily recyclable. “We are certain that our research results have opened the door to a new, future-oriented material class. Practical applications from industry can be expected in the near future. In the polymer sciences, our fibers will be able to provide valuable services in the further research and development of high-performance functional materials,”says Greiner.