Progress in the application of graphene in textiles in the 21st century

Graphene, a new material for the 21st century, is an epoch-making innovation that subverts global materials science. Graphene has high strength, high modulus, light weight, ultra-thin, good flexibility, etc. It has excellent light transmittance, transparency, conductivity, heat conduction, energy storage, antibacterial, anti-UV, anti-static properties, and has been in the contemporary High-tech computers, information industry, artificial intelligence, transportation, aerospace, defense and military industries have received more applications.

Since graphene is a sheet of two-dimensional nanoparticles, there is no molecular chain similar to high polymer, so it is difficult to directly prepare graphene fibers. At present, many preparations for graphene fibers are still limited to the laboratory stage, and far from being practical and popular. Graphene oxide (GO) has a richer carboxyl group, hydroxyl group and epoxy group, so that it has better dispersibility in a solvent. Therefore, in practical applications, GO is mainly used, and then graphene is reduced by later reduction. Graphene oxide, RGO). Making full use of the properties and functions of graphene, grafting onto textile fibers and fabrics can expand its use, especially in the development and application of high-end textiles.

Application in fiber

With the continuous development of nanotechnology, graphene/polymer-based composite fibers can be developed by introducing graphene nanoparticles into a polymer fiber matrix. The introduction of graphene is beneficial to improve the properties of polymer fiber, such as strength, heat resistance, weather resistance, antistatic, etc., and enhance the overall performance and application fields of fiber materials.

The fibers composited by graphene are cellulose fibers such as pure cotton and viscose, and synthetic fibers such as polyester , nylon , acrylic, spandex , aramid, polyvinyl alcohol, sodium alginate and polyacrylic acid. The composite method includes a direct padding method, a spray coating method, a compounding liquid method, a finishing method, a crosslinking modification method, and the like. Graphene composite fiber can fully exert its excellent characteristics, and the content is not high, the cost is low, and the quality is stable, washable and durable.

Graphene/manganese dioxide composite fiber

(1) Shandong Jinan Shengquan Group and Heilongjiang University combine graphene and corncob fiber to produce a functional fiber with anti-ultraviolet, antibacterial and antibacterial properties, suitable for clothing, vehicle interior decoration, medical equipment, filtration, etc. .

Shengquan biomass graphene composite fiber and its application

(2) Korea Electronic Information Research Institute and Jianguo University are coated with bovine serum albumin nano-gels on cotton and polyester blended yarns, and then wrapped with graphene coating materials, which can be used to detect harmful substances in the air and use them as intelligent filters. .

(3) The graphene/viscose composite fiber made by the traditional viscose spinning solution of Qingdao University has significant improvement in electrical conductivity, thermal and antibacterial properties. The unit is also made of graphene functionalized seaweed composite fiber.

(4) Foreign reports, the carbon nanotubes and graphene sheets were combined and embedded in the vinylon, and high-strength composite fibers were obtained. The fiber rigidity reached 1000 J/g, far exceeding the spider silk and the aramid 1414.

(5) Qingdao University uses graphene as a solar-resistant aging functional material, and blends with water-soluble polyurethane to obtain functional additives. It is applied to the surface of nylon filament by dip coating technology to make composite modified filaments. The solar resistance and electrical conductivity of nylon.

Application in fabrics

The modification of fabrics with graphene compounds is a highlight of graphene development. The methods used include fusion, grafting, wetting, deposition, coating, etc., and strive to give full play to the excellent properties of graphene, and develop new functional textiles, such as antibacterial, deodorant, anti-UV, anti-static, fireproof, anti-radiation functional clothing. Etc.; Development of industrial textiles , such as conductive, filtration, wearable equipment, aerospace and marine textiles.

(1) Development of antibacterial cotton fabrics. The wet cotton fabric is immersed in the antibacterial finishing liquid of GO and chitosan, and is firmly combined with the cotton fiber, and dried and then reduced with the insurance powder to prepare a cotton fabric having certain antibacterial ability. In addition, the fabric is first impregnated with a cross-linking agent as a filter cloth, the GO aqueous solution is filtered, and then cured with a crosslinking agent to obtain an antibacterial fabric.

(2) Development of cotton fabrics with excellent electrochemical properties. The cotton fabric was used as the substrate, and the GO and manganese dioxide were grafted onto the surface of the cotton fabric by the wetting-drying method and the chemical precipitation method to form a composite cotton fabric, which was then carbonized to improve the electrochemical performance.

(3) Develop fabrics that are warm enough to be used as sensors for wearable devices. Similar to the above, GO is grafted to cotton fabric by infiltration coating and in-situ chemical deposition, and then carbonized to make it have good electrothermal and stress sensing properties, suitable for making heat insulation, light and thin fashion clothing and Use of sensors such as wearable devices.

The application of graphene composites in smart skirts (CuteCircuit uses its conductivity to control the opening and closing of LED lights through the wearer's heartbeat)

(4) Development of graphene heat conductive fabrics and UV protection fabrics. By dispersing the graphene nanosheets in a resin solution, the thermal conductivity of the fabric can be improved to some extent. Cotton fabrics can be modified into UV-resistant fabrics by optimizing the ratio of graphene to polyurethane water-soluble compound.

(5) Development of graphene flame retardant fabrics. The amination treatment of the graphene oxide can be made into a flame-retardant fabric.

(6) In addition, graphene materials with high strength, high modulus, antistatic, low density (light weight), pressure resistance and other excellent characteristics, will certainly be useful in the field of textile machinery and accessories, such as in the roller, cradle , wire ring, rubber roller, rubber ring, rapier, and application and development in the field of concentrated spinning, vortex spinning.