Page 90 - TEXtalks September/October 2021

90 Avex and Majotae
4D printed

wearable medical introduce hemp

devices fibers in knitting

Researchers from the University of Freiburg and degree the splint will bend when exposed to
the University of Stuttgart have developed a novel moisture. They have used orthotic devices as a
method of 4D printing wearable medical devices motivating example, as there is immense potential
that self-adjust to the patient's anatomy. When the for passive adaptivity in wearable assistive
shape of a 3D printed structure is designed to technologies for medical and sports applications.
morph over time, it is called 4D printing. These
geometry shifts can be induced in many ways, The printed structure also included several
with some of the most common being electrical swelling and stabilizing layers that work in
stimulation, heat, and moisture. Many 4D printed conjunction with the bend lines to achieve a
objects are pre-programmed to morph using coiling helix-like form. Additionally, the team
intelligently placed layers and folds, which can printed pockets on the splint's surface, which
contract and expand to give the desired effect. pushes the helix outwards to create tension in the
device, ultimately resulting in the contraction of
The Freiburg team turned to the air potato, a vine the entire splint. This enables the device to tighten
plant capable of climbing trees by winding itself around the wearer's arm for a personalized, snug
around the host's trunk. Air potatoes sprout fit, supporting the wrist.
outgrowths called stipules, which help tension the
winding stem and exhibit a squeezing force on The researchers have successfully developed a
the host plant. This allows the air potato to work material programming approach for designing
its way up to its host, bringing it closer to that and 4D-printing bio-inspired motion mechanisms Hemp is a natural, sustainable material that
much-needed sunlight. In a bid to emulate the that adapt to environmental stimuli. So far, the is gaining attention globally. Until now, only
movement mechanism of the air potato, the process is still limited to existing base materials woven textile could be produced using hemp
researchers employed a computational design that respond to moisture. The researchers said fibers, which was limited in use due to the
strategy that involved selectively printing 'bend that they are hoping that in the future, inexpensive characteristics of hemp fibers. Now, by
lines' into the geometry of the splint itself. Like materials that also respond to other stimuli will developing a more resistant thread than the
creases in a piece of paper, these bend lines are become available for 3D printing and can be used previous one, which would break when spun,
designed to determine how, where, and to what with this process. plain weaving and the production of knitted
fabric made from 100-percent hemp fiber
became possible. Avex Entertainment Inc.
Scientists discovered enzymes with the ability to recycle polyester and Majotae started limited sales of 100%
hemp T-shirts. Majotae is a brand that utilizes
Plastics have been a problem for the environment, including polyesters used to manufacture various textile modern technology to resurrect the actual
products. Researchers are trying to find different ways to recycle plastics. Recently, scientists at Bio-Optimised texture of the hemp cloth that Japanese
Technologies to keep Thermoplastics out of Landfills and the Environment (BOTTLE) Consortium have reported people have used since ancient times.
an enzyme-based plastic recycling method that is more energy-efficient and better for the environment. They
used enzymes for recycling PET, a standard plastic in single-use beverage bottles, clothing, and food The most significant feature of majotae is its
packaging. BOTTLE Consortium included scientists from the US Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) National realization of a texture that overturns the
Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) and the University of Portsmouth. image of typical hemp, i.e., feeling stiff and
rough. Due to this, Avex can expand the use
PET ranks among the most abundantly produced synthetic polymers globally, with 82 million metric tons of hemp cloth not just for shirts and kimono,
produced annually; roughly 54 % of PET is used to manufacture textiles for clothing and fibers for carpets. An but also knitted fabric products such as
analysis shows enzyme-recycled PET has potential improvement over conventional, fossil-based methods of T-shirts and sweatshirts that until now are
PET production across a broad spectrum of energy, carbon, and socioeconomic impacts. If further developed commonly made from cotton and synthetic
and implemented at scale, the concept could lead to new opportunities for PET recycling and create a fibers. The developed technology leaves the
mechanism for recycling textiles and other materials made from PET that is traditionally not recycled. fabrics with a silky touch and cotton-like
softness.
September/October 2021