| CPC D06N 3/128 (2013.01) [D01D 5/08 (2013.01); D01F 1/10 (2013.01); D10B 2401/06 (2013.01)] | 7 Claims |

|
1. A method of preparing an energy dissipating fiber or fabric comprising:
a) mixing a polymer matrix, a shear thickening material, a reinforcing filler and optionally an antioxidant together to form a composite;
b) feeding the composite obtained from step (a) into a melt or extrusion spinning machine to form the energy dissipating fiber; and
c) optionally weaving or knitting the fiber obtained from step (b) into the energy dissipating fabric,
wherein the polymer matrix comprises polyethylene, polypropylene, polyamide, polyethylene terephthalate, polylactide, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polystyrene, or a combination thereof, and
wherein the shear thickening material is an encapsulated shear thickening material comprising a shell at least partially encapsulating a core, wherein the core comprises the shear thickening material and the shell comprises an encapsulating material, wherein the shear thickening material comprises polyborodimethylsiloxane (PBDMS) and the encapsulating material comprises polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA); or the encapsulated shear thickening material comprises a dispersed phase and a continuous phase, wherein the disperse phase comprises the shear thickening material and the continuous phase comprises an encapsulating material, wherein the shear thickening material comprises polyborodimethylsiloxane (PBDMS) and the encapsulating material comprises silicone rubber,
wherein the polymer matrix, the shear thickening material, and the reinforcing filler are mixed in a weight ratio between 100:0.1:0.1 to 100:0.5:0.5, respectively, wherein the reinforcing filler comprises carbon nanotubes.
|