A study on the mechanical and antimicrobial properties of biomimetic shark skin fabrics with different denticle size via 3D printing technology

Abstract

Although 3D-printed shark skin fabrics for functional textiles have been of great interest recently in both academic and industrial research, there is still a lack of understanding in the effect of denticle size on fabric performance. Up to date, the smallest size of 3D printed denticles on biomimetic shark skin fabrics previously reported was still larger than that on shark skin found in nature (100-500 μm). In this study, smaller denticles ranging from 0.65 mm to 1.30 mm were fabricated to decorate on a smooth film using a Form3 3D printer, resulting in biomimetic shark skin fabrics. The effect of denticle size on mechanical properties (stiffness, Young’s modulus, tensile strength, and breaking elongation) and antimicrobial properties of the biomimetic shark skin fabrics were evaluated to assess the applications in functional clothing. The results suggested that when the size of the denticles was decreased, the stiffness of the fabrics was increased. The tensile strength and the breaking elongation of the fabric with 1.04 mm denticles were larger than those of fabric materials used in commercial swimwear. In antimicrobial testing, the shark skin fabrics with 0.65 mm and 1.04 mm denticles were found to be less susceptible to bacterial attachment, suggesting great potential for functional clothing applications.