Summary

As one of the most important materials, fiber has been playing a very important role in the history of human social development. Qian Baojun, one of the founders of fiber materials in China and fiber materials discipline in Donghua University, has made outstanding contributions to fiber materials science. In order to better inherit Qian Baojun's career, carry forward his spirit and promote the sustainable development of fiber materials, State Key Laboratory For Modification of Chemical Fibers and Polymer Materials of Donghua University initiated and set up Qian Baojun Fiber Award, which is selected once every two years. On May 27th, the First Awarding Ceremony of Qian Baojun Fiber Award was held at Donghua University. Professor Pieter J. Lemstra, from the former Eindhoven University of Technology, and Dr. Paul Smith, from the former Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, were awarded and co-shared Qian Baojun Distinguished Achievement Prize for their contribution to inventing gel spun Ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene fiber. Professor Gao Chao, from Zhejiang University, and Professor Fabien Sorin, from Ecole Polytechnique Federale De Lausanne University, were awarded Qian Baojun Young Scholar Prize respectively.

"Qian Baojun Fiber Award"focusing on fiber research

"Qian Baojun Fiber Award is the first scientific prize focusing on fiber materials research in China. With the development of the fiber industry in China, establishment of such an award aims to create a scientific incentive for the authority in international fiber field, and to further encourage experts and scholars to carry out the outstanding academic research in fiber materials." Prof. Zhu Meifang, Director of the Executive Committee of the Qian Baojun Fiber Award, Director of the SKLFPM(DHU), Dean of Material Science and Engineering College of Donghua University, told the reporter.

 (Scene of the award ceremony)

"Special troop" in high performance fibers

A seemingly ordinary fiber rope can bear the maximum weight of 8 times the same thickness of wire rope. If you cut it with a pair of stainless steel scissors, the knife will be blunted after a minute of continuous shearing. It is a "special soldier" among high performance fibers. As the high performance fiber with the highest strength-to-weight ratio, ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fiber, together with carbon fiber and aramid fiber, is well known as the three most high performance fibers in the world. The winners of the Qian Baojun Distinguished Achievement Prize(2017) have made great contribution to inventing gel spun UHMWPE fiber. In 1978, Professor Pieter J. Lemstra and Professor Paul Smith, inventors for UHMWPE fibers, applied for the first patent for the preparation of UHMWPE fiber with freeze-gel spinning - superdouble thermal stretching technique. Its advent opens the door for the application of polyethylene in high-performance fibers.

"I am very proud to be able to witness and participate in the development process of polythene fibers from creation to wide application, believing that there will be more fibers in the future to change our lives." Professor Pieter J. Lemstra said at the award ceremony.

(Professor Pieter J. Lemstra, in the middle, from the former Eindhoven University of Technology,

one of the winners of Qian Baojun Prize for Distinguished Achievement)

In the exhibition show room of the SKLFPM(DHU), the products of bulletproof vest, bulletproof helmet, anti-cutting gloves and bulletproof plate made by such fiber are displayed. UHMWPE fibers play an irreplaceable role in modern national defense and high technology industry for the properties of light weight, high strength, chemical corrosion resistance and high energy absorption. Donghua University started the research on UHMWPE fibers in the middle of 1980s, which makes DHU become the earliest domestic research institute in this field in China. After more than 10 years of hard work to overcome difficulties, the university successfully implemented the comprehensive localization of UHMWPE fibers and relevant products, which broke the technological monopoly by the developed countries and made China become the third country with independent intellectual property to produce UHMWPE fibers. Professor Hu Zuming's research team developed a kind of "fine and strong" high strength fiber rope and applied it to the suspension rope of the small ball matrix at the opening ceremony of Shanghai World Expo, which became one of the highlights at the opening ceremony.

(High performance fibers play an important role in national defense, high-tech industries and other fields)

"New generation fibers" to create infinite possibilities

Graphene is the thinnest two-dimensional material found at present. The thickness of 100 thousand pieces of graphene stacked together is only equal to that of single hair. At the same time, it is the most powerful, conductive and thermal conductive material known at the moment. It is expected that the introduction of graphene will bring revolutionary changes to fibers.

(Professor Gao Chao, in the middle, from Zhejiang University, wins Qian Baojun Prize for Young Scholar)

"After these years of development, graphene fibers were improved and optimized in terms of performance and process. As it has laid a solid foundation for future industrial production and practical application, it is expected to appear in our daily life in the future." Professor Gao Chao, the winner of Qian Baojun Prize for Young Scholar, shared his latest research work in graphene fibers after the ceremony. He developed a liquid crystal spinning technology for preparation of graphene fibers, which mainly control the orderly structure of graphene sheets. Through mingling, high temperature carbonization and other treatments, the technology will greatly improve the mechanical and electrical properties of graphene fibers.

(Professor Fabien Sorin, in the middle, from Ecole Polytechnique Federale De Lausanne University, wins Qian Baojun Prize for Young Scholar)

The other prize winner, Professor Fabien Sorin, shared in his academic report with other experts and scholars how to fabricate multi-functional fibers via the thermal drawing process. "The technique of thermal drawing can easily integrate various materials such as polymers, nanocomposites, metals, semiconductors and so on, which can provide fibers with a variety of electrical, optical and chemical properties," he said.

"The Young Scholar Prize more focuses on the foresight and creativity of scientific research," Prof. Zhang Yaopeng, Deputy director of the Executive Committee of the Qian Baojun Fiber Award, Deputy Director of the SKLFPM(DHU), Vice dean of Material Science and Engineering College of Donghua University, told the reporter. "The new generation fibers, whether the magic graphene fibers, or the polymer fibers, are developing towards intelligence, environment protection and ultra-strength, with more and more additional functions relating to optical performance, electrical conductivity, information receiving, sending and storing, and so on. They will be widely used in smart clothing, wearable devices, aerospace, biomedical application, artificial intelligence and other fields." 

The Material Science Discipline of Donghua University was derived from the first chemical fiber major of new China established by the two professors, Qian Baojun and Fang Bairong, in 1954. From promoting the industrialization of chemical fibers to solving the problem of wearing clothes for common people, and to leading the cutting-edge science and technology in fiber field, Donghua University has always been standing at the height of the world and developing advanced fibers. In the future-oriented research of new generation fibers, there are still the efforts made by the people of the Material Science Department of Donghua University. Their research results included the absorbable medical suture made of degradable polyester PGLA, the dental restorative materials developed with fiber reinforced organic inorganic composite materials, the hybrid graphene fibers that can be used to prepare the flexible supercapacitor, and so on. In the future, the people of the Material Science Department of Donghua University will continuously stick to problem solving and make the scientific research achievements relating to the new-generation fibers, including smart fibers and nanofibers, available from the laboratory to ordinary people.