In nature, fibers have evolved to respond to environmental triggers such as moisture, temperature, and pressure. Herein, we have investigated fabrication of biomimetic bicomponent fiber structures which respond to changes in temperature. These fibers are created by spinning two materials with different thermal expansion properties side-by-side so that the fiber properties are asymmetric across the cross section. We combine two types of polybutylene terephthalate (PBT): a hard thermoplastic (Crastin) and a thermoplastic elastomer (Hytrel). This mismatch in elasticity and asymmetry creates strain-induced, self-crimping fibers.
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