Page 12 - Read Online

Page 10 of 35 Huang et al. Soft Sci 2024;4:40 https://dx.doi.org/10.20517/ss.2024.37

Figure 5. (A) Production stages from fibers to products; (B) Summarization of various fabric structures. Figure “Weaving” [150] , reprinted
with permission. Copyright 2018, John Wiley and Sons; Figure “Kitting” [151] , reprinted with permission. Copyright 2013, Elsevier; Figure
“Stitching” [152] , reprinted with permission. Copyright 2020, Elsevier; Figure “Braiding” [153] , reprinted with permission. Copyright 2020,
Springer Nature; (C) Woven structures obtained by individual functional fiber, complex fibers and carbonization, respectively. Figure
(i) [168] , reprinted with permission. Copyright 2017, Springer Nature; Figure (ii) [169] , reprinted with permission. Copyright 2021, American
Chemical Society; Figure (iii) [170] , reprinted with permission. Copyright 2019, Elsevier.

plain, twill, satin, basket, leno, and mock leno [156-158] . The most popular woven structure is the plain weave
due to its simplicity, minimal repeat dimensions, and ease of formation and identification . This structure
[159]
integrates various electronic components such as pressure sensors, strain sensors, circuit boards, logic
operations, solar cells, etc. . However, the precise control of the weft yarn presents a challenge for the
[51]
[160]
positioning of microelectronic devices .
In the knitting process, yarns are formed into a looped structure through either mechanical knitting
machines or manual knitting techniques [161,162] . Owing to their looped construction, fabrics with knitted
structures exhibit high extensibility, enabling them to withstand external forces better . Additionally,
[160]
knitting makes it easy to obtain circular or tubular structures in a bi-layer configuration. It is beneficial for
the fabrication of devices that require the integration of multiple materials in contact.

Stitching, a method that employs sewing threads to bind multiple layers of material, is employed to enhance
the thickness, strength, and durability of fabrics [163,164] . This process not only significantly amplifies the
reinforcing effect but also elevates the permanent recovery ratio . Furthermore, braiding is a simple
[152]
technique for intertwining three or more strands of yarn to create narrow strips or flat fabrics, used for rope,