Textiles

FACILITIES & CAPABILITIES

The FIBER lab aims to develop novel fibers and fabrics that integrate new capabilities into structures and composites. 

CAPABILITIES

  • Compounding of new reinforcements and additives into polymers for extrusion.
  • Extrusion of polymers into filaments or fiber bundles.
    Electrospinning of new polymer fibers or mat.
  • Weaving of prototype fabrics in 2D or 3D fiber architectures.
  • Knitting of prototype and low-rate production fabrics and garments up to 1.27 meters (50 inches) wide.
  • Woven and knitted fabric design.
  • Characterization of fabrics and fibers with regard to
  • Digital microscopy to 10-1000x
  • 1D fiber tensile tests
  • 1D fabric tensile tests
  • Surface energy
  • EMI Shielding effectiveness 30Mhz-10GHz

EQUIPMENT

Fabric Production

LeClerc Diana Hand Loom

  • Prototype loom for short runs of novel fibers and yarns
  • Fabric width up to 60cm (23.6in)
  • Computer controlled design
  • 16 Harnesses
  • 2 Warp Beams for double layered fabric

CCI Evergreen II Dobby Loom

  • Industrial prototype loom for short runs of novel fibers and yarns
  • Can weave in grouped textured patterns
  • Rapier shuttle system
  • Computer controlled design
  • Fabric width up to 60cm (23.6in)
  • Max warp length: 3.6M
  • 20 Harnesses, 2 Leno Harnesses
  • 3 Warp Beams
  • 4 weft selectors
  • Optional zero-twist weft insertion system set up to weave carbon and other materials for composite products

Optima 3D Jacquard Shuttle Loom

  • Prototype loom capable of 3D fabric architectures and pre-forms
  • Caterpillar take up system
  • Manual tension clamps
  • 4 shuttles
  • Insertion height can vary based on material thickness
  • Reeds for variable dents
  • 2304 individually controlled heddles for complex designs
  • Seamless, tubular and 3-dimensional weaving
  • Fabric Parameters:
  • Max thickness: 10cm
  • Max speed: 40rpm
  • ‘Infinite’ length
  • Max width” 24in
  • Max EPI: 96

Stoll 3D Knitting Machine
Model:  ADF 530-16 ki bcW

  • Double flat bed for creation of
  • Ribs
  • Tubular fabrics
  • Spacer Fabrics
  • 3-Dimensional knitting
  • Seamless constructions
  • Wire and composite inlays
  • 14 gauge
  • Max width: 58in
  • ‘Infinite’ length
  • 16 yarn carriers
  • M1Plus design software

Compounding and Extrusion

Thermo Fischer Process 11 twin screw compounder with pelletizer and 3D filament extruder

  • Minimized sample material usage (20g)
  • Throughput range 20g/h to 2.5kg/h
  • Segmented screw design with removable top half barrel
  • Water bath
  • Works with polymers, additives, and adhesives

Hills Bicomponent fiber extruder

  • Two hoppers and extruders to independently feed polymer systems
  • Melt pump to meter incoming material for uniform filament diameter
  • Currently has series of 19-filament dies with different geometries
  • Round, side-by-side, concentric, and islands-in-the-sea
  • Custom options can be manufactured
  • Draw stand with heated rolls for in-line fiber conditioning
  • Winder for consistent linear density yarn take-up

Electrospinning

Domobio 4A (melt electrowriting; melt, solution, or gel electrospinning)

  • High precision syringe pump
  • Print volume 100x100x130mm
  • 0 to +30kV
  • Temp 15-50C
  • 20-80% humidity
  • 4 printheads
  • Print resolution: X and Y; 1.25mm, Z; 10mm

Elmarco Nanospider electrospinner

  • High precision syringe pump
  • Free surface (reservoir) electro spinning
  • Roll to roll collector
  • Max width: 300mm
  • Max speed: 5000mm/min
  • Air temperature and humidity control
  • 20-30°C
  • 20-40% RH
  • Camera (1920x1200px) for viewing spun jet formation
  • Adjustable:
  • Flow rate
  • coltage
  • Concentration of polymers, plasticizers, dopants, and volume
  • Un-oriented fiber mat creation for specialized membranes with shielding effects or imbedded sensors

Coating

Clean Room

  • Classification 100
  • Temperature and humidity controlled
  • Four station thin film wire coating production line
  • Functional materials, e.g. semi-conductors
  • Durable, lightweight, and washable coatings
  • Two coating ports extrusion die for cladding
  • UV curable encapsulant

Property Assessment

EMI Shielding Effectiveness

  • Rhode & Schwarz ZNL20 Vector Network Analyzer (30MHz-10GHz)

Thermal Conductivity

  • C-Therm Trident (bulk plastic)

Surface Energy

  • Biolin Scientific Sigma Force Tensiometer 700 (filaments)
  • Data Physics Optical Contact Angle- 25 Goniometer (plastics)

Tensile Testing for Single Fiber, Yarn and Fabric 

  • Instron 68SC-5 (5N-5kN load cells, pneumatic and spring grips)

Rheological Analysis

  • DHR, Ares, Gottfert, RG50

Thermal Analysis

  • DSC, TMA, DMA, TGA

Visual Analysis

  • SEM, AFM, and optical microscopy

Photovoltaic Efficiency Analysis

CONTACT:

Lynn Wagner

|Lab Manager

lynn.wagner@composites.maine.edu

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