Temperature Responsive PBT Bicomponent Fibers for Dynamic Thermal Insulation

Abstract

Thermoresponsive self-crimping polybutylene terephtlate (PBT)-based bicomponent fibers were fabricated by melt-spinning to serve as primary constituents for textiles, such as nonwoven battings, for an adaptive single insulting layer. Due to the intrinsically mismatching modulus and coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), the fibers curl or straighten with temperature, similar to the concept of Timoshenko’s bimetallic strip. Maximizing the curvature is driven by an optimum of fiber diameter, overall CTE, and fiber moduli, which are all affected by drawing ratio and, consequently, fiber’s microstructure. A draw ratio of 2.33 yielded the best combination of mechanical and thermal properties; it was observed that increasing the draw ratio does not necessarily increase the self-crimping behavior. Tests performed on non-woven battings of these fibers exhibited comparable thermoreponsive behaviors to polypropylene-based thermoresponsive fibers from previous studies in the −20 °C to 20 °C temperature range, which has potential for wearable insulations for both commercial and defense sectors alike.