fibersthat

Fibersthat is a coined term used to describe a family of engineered fibers designed to combine mechanical reinforcement with additional functional capabilities. The concept encompasses polymer, inorganic, and hybrid fibers whose internal structure, surface chemistry, or coatings enable sensing, energy storage, self-healing, or other smart functionalities while maintaining traditional fiber properties.

Types of fibersthat include intrinsic functional fibers with conductive or reactive backbones, coated fibers with functional layers, and core–shell or composite fibers that integrate nanoscale inclusions. Common approaches include reinforcing polymers with carbon nanotubes or graphene, applying conductive polymer coatings, or designing fibers with microencapsulated reagents for self-healing or release.

Manufacturing relies on established fiber production methods such as melt spinning, wet spinning, dry spinning, electrospinning, or air jet spinning, combined with surface modification techniques like plasma treatment, chemical vapor deposition, or dip coating to add functionalities. Post-processing may involve weaving, knitting, or filament winding to integrate fibersthat into textiles or composite parts.

Applications of fibersthat span smart textiles for health monitoring and sport performance, structural health monitoring in aerospace and automotive components, energy storage devices using fiber electrodes, filtration systems with selective capture, and soft robotics where fibers provide actuation or sensing capabilities.

Current challenges include manufacturing cost, durability under mechanical wear and washing, environmental impact and end-of-life recyclability, and the lack of standardized testing methods for multifunctional performance. Research aims to improve scalable production, interfacial compatibility, and seamless integration with electronics to broaden deployment of fibersthat.