Method and apparatus for preparing monodomain liquid crystal elastomer smart fiber

A method for preparing a monodomain liquid crystal elastomer smart fiber, comprising:

• during crosslinking process of the liquid crystal elastomer, drawing of liquid crystal elastomer fibers with uniform diameter from a polymer solution when a viscosity of the cross-linked polymer solution increases to a point where filaments are drawn;
• heating by an infrared lamp to form filamentous liquid crystal elastomer fiber;
• natural air drying to remove excess solvent in the fiber;
• and stretching and collection of the fiber;
• followed by placement of the fiber, whereby the monodomain liquid crystal elastomer smart fiber is obtained,
• wherein the method comprises the following operation steps:
• S1:
• adding a liquid crystal monomer and a chain extender to a solvent, stirring and mixing the same evenly, adding a catalyst and stirring airtightly until a reaction ends, whereby a prepolymer is obtained;
• S2:
• adding a crosslinking agent to the prepolymer obtained in step S1, mixing and stirring the same evenly, adding the catalyst again, and continuing airtight stirring to obtain a polymer solution;
• S3:
• when the viscosity of the polymer solution obtained in step S2 increases to the point where filaments are drawn, drawing liquid crystal elastomer fibers with uniform diameter from the polymer solution, heating the fibers by irradiation with an infrared lamp, followed by continuous rotation, whereby filamentary liquid crystal elastomer fibers are continuously prepared;
• S4:
• drying the prepared liquid crystal elastomer fibers by natural air to remove the excess solvent in the fibers, and then stretching and collecting the fibers, wherein the stretching rate is 50-90%, followed by a placement after which the monodomain liquid crystal elastomer smart fiber is obtained,
• wherein the chain extender is one or more of ethylene glycol bis(3-mercaptopropionate) (GDMP), 1,4 butanediol bis(mercaptopropionate) (BDBT), ethylene glycol dimercaptoacetate (EGBMA), 3,6-dioxa-1,8-octanedithiol (EDDET), bis(2-mercaptoethyl)ether (DSH), 1,3-propanedithiol (PDT), 1,6-Hexanedithiol (HDT) and 1,10-decanedithiol (DDT), and
• wherein the crosslinker is pentaerythritol tetrakis (3-mercaptopropionate) (PETMP).