Progress in auxetic fibres and textiles

Auxetic materials are those which expand when stretched and contract when pushed. One area which is currently attracting attention is in the production of auxetic fibres and textiles. Here, the history of auxetic microporous polymers and subsequent fibres development and production is reviewed along with attempts to understand how the auxetic effect is achieved based on the observed microstructures. Larger scale auxetic polymers appear to have a different causal mechanism to auxetic fibres. A natural development from the production of auxetic fibres is to use the fibres to produce textiles. Progress in this area is examined together with work towards using conventional fibres to produce a textile which is auxetic due to its structure rather than its constituents. Possible applications are also presented.