Unlock the Secret to Snuggly Sweaters with Fiber Friction

Experience the⁢ warmth of a well-crafted sweater, like a comforting embrace in yarn form. The secret behind its resilience‍ lies in friction.
When stretched, knit fabric bounces back, not to a predetermined shape⁤ but to a multitude of potential forms known‍ as “metastable ⁢states,” as explained by Crassous from the University of Rennes in France. Each stretch ⁣reveals new possibilities ⁢for the fabric’s shape and size.
In innovative experiments, researchers manipulated‍ knit fabric on frames and observed how it⁢ responded to different levels of stretching. The results showed that the fabric could‍ adapt to various metastable states depending on the⁤ direction and ⁤intensity of the stretch.
Computer simulations further confirmed this phenomenon with fiber loops. Removing ‌friction eliminated these diverse states, highlighting the crucial role it plays in maintaining the ⁤fabric’s flexibility.

2024-12-23 12:00:00
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