Crosslinking fibers

Polymeric Materials. Photopolymer chemistry is also being used to prepare a variety of polymeric materials including crosslinked fibers and films (83), microporous gels, microporous polymers (84), microparticles (85) and battery electrodes (86) and components. 

Figure 7.9. Relationship between mechanical properties and fibril length (L) for self-assembled collagen fibers. Plot of UTS (A) and elastic slope (B) versus L in im for self-assembled type I collagen fibers stretched in tension at strain rate of 50%/min. Points with fibril lengths less than 20 pm are for uncrosslinked self-assembled type I collagen fibers and the points above 20 pm are for crosslinked fibers. The correlation coefficient for the best fit line is given by R2.

Physical evidence of crosslinking on a microstructural or morphological level can be seen by response of cotton to methacrylate layer expansion (44). Electron photomicrographs of cross sections of uncrosslinked and crosslinked fibers show differences in responses to this agent after sv lling. The uncrosslinked fiber is expanded to show the lamellae and a pore structure (Figure 5). The fiber that had been crosslinked in a convaitional manner, i.e. in the dry state, exhibits a monolithic cross section with no lamellae separation or visible pore structure. 

Schematic Cut through a Crosslinked, Fiber-Reinforced Phenolic Material Rectangles Connected by Short Lines Represent the Crosslinked Phenolic Phase and the Broad Lines Represent the Fibers. Some Molecules of the Crosslinked, Phenolic Phase are Covalently Bonded to the Fiber.

Crosslinking renders the nanofibers insoluble in all solvents. When a crosslinked fiber mat is placed in a good solvent, it absorbs the solvent and swells rather than dissolving in it. In filters, sensors, and biological applications such insolubility can be desirable. 

Plastics and fibers have been produced from regenerated proteins obtained from a number of sources [17]. The process involves dispersing the proteins in dilute sodium hydroxide followed by extrusion through a spinneret into an acid bath to form the fibers that are then crosslinked with formaldehyde to improve strength. The fibers are used along with silk and wool. 

Whereas PVA fleeces are used only in primary cells polyamide fleeces compete with polyolefin, preferably polypropylene fleeces. The latter are more stable at higher temperatures and do not contribute to electrolyte carbonation, but they wet only after a pretreatment either by fluorination [131] or by coating and crosslinking with hydrophilic substances (e.g., polyacrylic acid [132]) on the surface of the fiber. 

The final properties depend not only on unstaturated polyester structure but also on a number of other parameters, such as the nature and proportion of unsaturated comonomer, the nature of the initiator, and the experimental conditions of the crosslinking reaction. Moreover, since polyester resins are mainly used as matrices for composite materials, the nature and amount of inorganic fillers and of reinforcing fibers are also of considerable importance. These aspects have been discussed in many reviews and book chapters and are beyond the scope of this chapter.7-9... 

Seeding technique, procedure 130, 131 Sequential addition of monomers 164, 167 Silicon-carbide fibers 8 Silicon-nitride fibers 8 Silicone rubber, crosslinked 4, 7-9, 31, 67 Siloxane, definition of 5 Siloxane-acrylate copolymers 27, 29, 56, 57, 64, 70, 71, 73, 74... 

Collagen, because of its unique structural properties, has been fabricated into a wide variety of forms including crosslinked films, meshes, fibers, and sponges. Solid ocular inserts have also been prepared from purified animal tissues. 

The first elastomeric protein is elastin, this structural protein is one of the main components of the extracellular matrix, which provides stmctural integrity to the tissues and organs of the body. This highly crosslinked and therefore insoluble protein is the essential element of elastic fibers, which induce elasticity to tissue of lung, skin, and arteries. In these fibers, elastin forms the internal core, which is interspersed with microfibrils [1,2]. Not only this biopolymer but also its precursor material, tropoelastin, have inspired materials scientists for many years. The most interesting characteristic of the precursor is its ability to self-assemble under physiological conditions, thereby demonstrating a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) behavior. This specific property has led to the development of a new class of synthetic polypeptides that mimic elastin in its composition and are therefore also known as elastin-like polypeptides (ELPs). 

Elastin is a heavily crosslinked biopolymer that is formed in a process named elastogenesis. In this section, the role of elastin and the different steps of elastin production will be described, starting with transcription of the genetic code and processing of the primary transcript, followed by translation into the elastin precursor protein and its transport to the extracellular matrix. Finally, the crosslinking and fiber formation, which result in the transition from tropoelastin to elastin, are described. 

This coacervation process forms the basis for the self-assembly, which takes place prior to the crosslinking. The assembly of tropoelastin is based on an ordering process, in which the polypeptides are converted from a state with little order to a more structured conformation [8]. The insoluble elastic fiber is formed via the enzymatic crosslinking of tropoelastin (described in Sect. 2.1). Various models have been proposed to explain the mechanism of elasticity of the elastin fibers. 

---