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Multifunctional Alginate Composite Fibers Based on Pre-Crosslinked Spinning Solutions
Lingchun Liu1, Hanxu Zhou1, Cong Du1
1Shandong Key Laboratory of Renewable Membrane Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Qingdao University, Qingdao 266071, China.
Materials (Basel, Switzerland)
|May 27, 2026
Summary
Researchers developed new biodegradable alginate fibers using titanium dioxide nanoparticles. These enhanced green fibers offer superior mechanical strength and functionalities like formaldehyde degradation and flame retardancy.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Polymer Chemistry
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Growing environmental pollution from microplastics and carbon emissions necessitates sustainable material solutions.
- Biodegradable alginate fibers are promising green alternatives but face challenges in achieving high mechanical strength and specific functionalities.
- Developing advanced alginate-based materials is crucial for environmental remediation and functional textiles.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate multifunctional alginate composite fibers with enhanced mechanical properties and specific functionalities.
- To investigate the effect of incorporating titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles into sodium alginate (SA) fibers.
- To establish a facile and continuous fabrication method for these advanced fibers.
Main Methods:
- A one-step wet-spinning strategy was employed, incorporating pre-crosslinked sodium alginate (SA) with calcium ions (Ca2+) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles.
- The rheological properties of the spinning solution were optimized for continuous fiber fabrication.
- The content of TiO2 was systematically varied to optimize fiber morphology and performance.
Main Results:
- The pre-crosslinking of SA with Ca2+ ensured favorable rheological performance for continuous wet spinning.
- Optimized SA/TiO2 composite fibers displayed uniform morphology and significantly enhanced mechanical properties, with a breaking stress of 400 MPa and Young's modulus of 17.2 GPa.
- The incorporated TiO2 nanoparticles imparted excellent formaldehyde degradation capabilities and rapid self-extinguishing properties to the fibers.
Conclusions:
- The developed one-step wet-spinning method successfully produced multifunctional SA/TiO2 composite fibers with superior mechanical strength.
- These fibers demonstrate significant potential for applications in formaldehyde removal and as flame-retardant textiles, contributing to sustainable material development.
- The study highlights a viable approach to enhance biodegradable alginate fibers for advanced environmental and textile applications.
