Paul Schlack Prize 2023 awarded to the young scientist Dr.-Ing. Henriette Grellmann

As part of the opening of the 62nd Dornbirn GFC Global Fiber Congress 2023, Dr.-Ing. Henriette Grellmann was awarded the EUR 3,000 Paul Schlack Prize 2023 on September 13, 2023 for her dissertation " Technological development of textile-based actuator and sensor structures for complex deformable adaptive fiber-elastomer composites" successfully completed at ITM.

The subject of the doctoral thesis is the development of textile actuator and sensor systems for use in adaptive fiber-elastomer composites. In order to fulfill the intended purpose, high-frequency switchable textile actuators and sensors with E-moduli in the range of human tissue are of decisive importance. In order to realize these, dielectric elastomer actuators (DEA) in filament form are produced for the first time.

Abstract of the dissertation "Technological development of textile-based actuator and sensor structures for complex deformable adaptive fiber rubber composites":

This dissertation focuses on the development of textile-based actuator and sensor systems for adaptive fiber-elastomer composites. To achieve high-frequency switchable textile actuators and sensors that mimic human tissue's Young's moduli, this thesis fabricated dielectric elastomer actuators (DEA) in filament form. To enhance the elasticity and electrical conductivity required for textile actuators based on DEA, the study used a core-sheath bicomponent-spinning process to create the highly stretchable and electrically conductive thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) compounded with carbon nanotubes (CNT) as the inner electrode in the three-layered filament structure. In addition, the TPU-CNT compound also served as a strain sensor, detecting strains up to 50%, as its electrical resistivity changes significantly under mechanical stress. The novel technological approaches include extensive modifications to the spinning and coating processes to manufacture cohesive filaments with outer diameters of over 500 µm, the development of DEA in a filamentary geometry, and research and fabrication of filamentary DEA with liquid inner and outer electrodes. Both the melt-spinning and coating processes used for manufacturing the textile actuators and sensors had to be extensively modified to enable the production of filaments while avoiding filament breakage. The resulting filament structures are further processed by flat-knitting and the obtained fabrics are surrounded by an elastomeric matrix for characterization of the electromechanical properties of the resulting adaptive fiber-elastomer composites.

Dr. Grellmann was unfortunately unable to attend the award ceremony in person, so it was a particular pleasure for her to present her successful dissertation to the conference participants online. Dipl.-Ing. Mathis Bruns from ITM accepted her well-deserved Paul Schlack Prize 2023 on her behalf on site.

Dr.-Ing. Henriette Grellmann studied mechanical engineering with a specialization in "Textile and processing machine construction" at TU Dresden. As a Research Associate, she was a member of the Research Training Group 2430 "Interactive Fiber-Elastomer Composites", in which she worked with a multinational team of young scientists on the development of soft, robotic structures. Ms Grellmann's core research areas have always been the realization of textile actuators and sensors for use in high-frequency switchable, elastomer-based textile composites that are suitable for close cooperation with humans (human-machine interaction). A particular highlight of her scientific career in RTG 2430 were the two short research stays lasting several months, which she completed at Shinshu University in Ueda (Japan) and at ENSAIT (Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts et Industries Textile) in Roubaix (France). In July 2022, Dr.-Ing. Henriette Grellmann defended her dissertation, which she wrote as part of Research Training Group 2430 "Interactive Fiber-Elastomer Composites" at the Institute of Textile Machinery and High Performance Material Technology at TU Dresden. Dr.-Ing. Grellmann has been working successfully in industry since May 2022.

The European Man-Made Fibres Association has been awarding the prize, named after the inventor Paul Schlack of polyamide 6/Perlon, since 1971 as part of the Dornbirn-GFC for outstanding work in the field of man-made fiber research at universities and research institutes.

The ITM staff would like to congratulate Dr. Grellmann and wish her all the best and every success for her professional and personal future.