Provided is a leather fiber for leather spun yarn with improved physical properties of the leather spun yarn by containing leather fibers with more improved length, thickness, fineness, and the like than conventional leather fibers, in which the leather fiber has an average length of 15 mm or more and 40% or more of the content of fibers of more than 15 mm in the leather fibers for the leather spun yarn contained in the leather spun yarn.

Provided is leather spun yarn with improved physical properties of the leather spun yarn by containing leather fibers longer than conventional leather fibers, in which the leather fiber has an average length of 15 mm or more and 40% or more of the content of fibers of more than 15 mm, in the leather fibers for the leather spun yarn contained in the leather spun yarn formed by containing the leather fibers and synthetic fibers.

Composites based on a polymer and a mixture of proteins derived from a MaSp (major ampullate spidroin) protein are provides. Further, methods for preparation of same, and method of use of the composites are provided.

An article of apparel including insulation material includes an insulating layer formed of waterfowl fibers and synthetic fibers. The waterfowl fibers can be present in an amount of at least 20% by weight of the insulating layer. The insulating layer is generally free of waterfowl plumage.

Composites based on a polymer and a mixture of proteins derived from a MaSp (major ampullate spidroin) protein are provides. Further, methods for preparation of same, and method of use of the composites are provided.

The presently disclosed subject matter provides a scalable and electrostretching approach for generating microfibers exhibiting uniaxial alignment from polymer solutions. Such microfibers can be generated from a variety of natural polymers or synthetic polymers. The hydrogel microfibers can be used for controlled release of bioactive agents. The internal uniaxial alignment exhibited by the presently disclosed fibers provides improved mechanical properties to microfibers, contact guidance cues and induces alignment for cells seeded on or within the microfibers.

A method of forming a colored heather yarn, comprising the sequential steps: (a) processing a natural fiber; (b) obtaining a regenerated cellulose man-made fiber that comprises an uncolored regenerated cellulose man-made fiber, a waterless dope-dyed regenerated cellulose man-made fiber, or both; (c) producing a man-made fiber that comprises an uncolored man-made fiber, a waterless dope-dyed man-made fiber, or both; (d) blending the natural fiber from step (a) with the individual fibers from step (b), step (c), or both to produce a blended composite of fibers; and (e) roving, spinning and winding the blended composite of fibers of step (d) into a final colored heather yarn; wherein the colored heather yarn comprises a predetermined fiber content ratio. There is also provided a colored heather yarn made according to the foregoing method.

A method of forming a colored heather yarn, comprising the sequential steps: (a) processing a natural fiber; (b) obtaining a regenerated cellulose man-made fiber; (c) producing a waterless dope-dyed man-made fiber; (d) blending the individual fibers from steps (a)-(c) to produce a blended composite of fibers; and (e) roving, spinning and winding the blended composite of fibers of step (d) into a final colored heather yarn; wherein the colored heather yarn comprises a predetermined fiber content ratio. There is also provided a colored heather yarn made according to the foregoing method.

Hydration-responsive shape-memory keratin composite fibers are provided. These fibers have a keratin network structure formed by keratin -helices bonded by disulfide bonds. Incorporated within the structure are cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs), which provide hydrogen bonds and stabilize the -helix structure, introducing a hydration-responsive switch. Specifically, the CNCs are configured to arrange and connect the keratin -helices, aligning their coil axis along the fiber axis.

Systems and methods are presented for fabricating conductive protein-based yarns to produce textile-based supercapacitors (TSCs). Conductive wool yarns are created by coating wool yarn with Ti.sub.3C.sub.2T.sub.x MXene flakes, or by coating wool yarn in MXene@conductive-polymer composite material, such as MXene@polypyrrole (PPY) or MXene@polyaniline (PANI). In some examples, the conductive polymer (e.g., polypyrrole (PPY) or polyaniline (PANI)) is polymerized in the presence of MXene flakes to yield conductive-polymer-coated MXene flakes (MXene@conductive-polymer), and then this material is then used to coat wool yarn to yield a conductive protein-based yarn. MXene materials offer a high conductivity, but tend to oxidize quickly, while conductive polymers have a lower conductivity, but are more chemically stable and less likely to oxidize. As such, it is presently recognized that, by combining these materials, a chemically stable and highly conductive composite material is formed that can be used to coat yarns to make TSCs.