A piezoelectric thread that includes a core thread; and a piezoelectric film wound around the core thread. The piezoelectric thread is constructed to generate a charge by energy imparted from outside of the piezoelectric thread.

A piezoelectric thread that includes a core thread; and a piezoelectric film wound around the core thread. The piezoelectric thread is constructed to generate a charge by energy imparted from outside of the piezoelectric thread.

A method and apparatus for producing continuous web or sliver of milkweed fibers without the use of conventional carding machines is disclosed. The method generally includes feeding raw materials including milkweed fibers into the apparatus, transferring the milkweed fibers to a sliver collecting net, and producing the slivers on the surface of the sliver collecting net. The slivers can be separated from the sliver collecting net.

A method and apparatus for producing continuous web or sliver of milkweed fibers without the use of conventional carding machines is disclosed. The method generally includes feeding raw materials including milkweed fibers into the apparatus, transferring the milkweed fibers to a sliver collecting net, and producing the slivers on the surface of the sliver collecting net. The slivers can be separated from the sliver collecting net.

A label and related method of manufacture that includes a fabric made of yarn, in either cut individual singles or continuous ribbon format in any length. The yarn includes a fiber that has been recycled, that is recyclable, that is organic, that is biodegradable, and/or that can be derived from a material that is known to be environmentally friendly. The yarn, in one embodiment, may include a fiber defined as “high filament count” material, above the current industry standard of 24 filaments, being in the range of 72 to 96 to 144 filaments or higher per individual yarn, in any denier range of 30 denier to 150 denier thickness, in natural raw white, optical dyed white, or dyed colors. These yarns can be independent of each other.

The invention relates to a reinforcement cord for elastomeric products, in particular for pneumatic tires, comprising at least one yarn made of filaments.

The invention further relates to an elastomeric product comprising at least one reinforcement cord.

For protection of the environment and conservation of resources, together with good processing performance, at least one yarn of the reinforcement cord comprises filaments made of polybutylene dicarboxyfuranoate (PBF), where the PBF has been produced entirely or at least to some extent from biomass and/or from renewable raw materials.

The invention relates to a reinforcement cord for elastomeric products, in particular for pneumatic tires, comprising at least one yarn made of filaments.

The invention further relates to an elastomeric product comprising at least one reinforcement cord.

For protection of the environment and conservation of resources, together with good processing performance, at least one yarn of the reinforcement cord comprises filaments made of polybutylene dicarboxyfuranoate (PBF), where the PBF has been produced entirely or at least to some extent from biomass and/or from renewable raw materials.

A torsional actuator formed of a yarn of twisted shape memory material. The yarn has multiple strands of homogeneous shape memory material that have been homochirally twisted. For torsional actuation, a fractional portion of the yarn is heated such as by Joule heating. Various Joule heating mechanisms include passing an electrical current through an unwound segment of the yarn, or by coating a fractional portion of the length of each homogeneous strand with a coating material of higher electrical conductivity than the electrical conductivity of the shape memory material an passing current through the length of the yarn. The shape memory material may be a shape memory alloy such as a NiTi alloy.

A torsional actuator formed of a yarn of twisted shape memory material. The yarn has multiple strands of homogeneous shape memory material that have been homochirally twisted. For torsional actuation, a fractional portion of the yarn is heated such as by Joule heating. Various Joule heating mechanisms include passing an electrical current through an unwound segment of the yarn, or by coating a fractional portion of the length of each homogeneous strand with a coating material of higher electrical conductivity than the electrical conductivity of the shape memory material an passing current through the length of the yarn. The shape memory material may be a shape memory alloy such as a NiTi alloy.

Yarn energy harvesters containing conducing nanomaterials (such as carbon nanotube (CNT) yarn harvesters) that electrochemically convert tensile or torsional mechanical energy into electrical energy. Stretched coiled yarns can generate 250 W/kg of peak electrical power when cycled up to 24 Hz, and can generate up to 41.2 J/kg of electrical energy per mechanical cycle. Unlike for other harvesters, torsional rotation produces both tensile and torsional energy harvesting and no bias voltage is required, even when electrochemically operating in salt water. Since homochiral and heterochiral coiled harvester yarns provide oppositely directed potential changes when stretched, both contribute to output power in a dual-electrode yarn. These energy harvesters were used in the ocean to harvest wave energy, combined with thermally-driven artificial muscles to convert temperature fluctuations to electrical energy, sewn into textiles for use as self-powered respiration sensors, and used to power a light emitting diode and to charge a storage capacitor.