Changes in conductivity with repeated fabric extension were investigated to improve the properties of conductive electrode pad material used for electrotherapy when it is subjected to various movement of human body. Highly stretchable and conductive fabrics were prepared by in situ chemical polymerization of polypyrrole on nylon-spandex stretch fabric in aqueous solutions with 0.5 M pyrrole, 1.165 M FeCl 3 , and 0.165 M benzenesulfonic acid at 5°C for 1 h. Performance of prepared stretchable conductive fabric was evaluated in terms of conductivity changes as a function of tensile strain, repeated extension, and current application time. As the degree of extension increased, the conductivity increased and leveled off when the fabric was subjected to 60% extension. The number of fiber contacts in nylon-spandex fabric with electrode increased as the applied extension increased. However, the conductivity of the composite decreased under excessive extension over 60% since the intrinsic elasticity of fabric became gradually reduced. Generally, the fabric conductivity decreased as the number of extension cycles increased. However, the fabric conductivity was well maintained after repeated extension over 30 cycles at 40% extension. In addition, it was found that the effect of charging during the electrotherapy treatment on a current flow through prepared electrode pad was negligible.

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As the rapid economic growth and over-consumption within the largest population worldwide has resulted in harmful environment deterioration, a shift to more sustainable consumption behaviors is required in China. Although public interests in sustainability have increased and consumers' attitudes are positive, their behavioral intentions are not consistent with attitudes. This study aims to uncover psychological drivers and barriers (consumption values, social norms, and attitudes to sustainable apparel products) of Chinese consumers' behavioral intentions toward sustainable apparel products (SAP) by exploring the attitude-behavioral intention gap. Online survey data were used to examine the moderating impacts of consumption values and social norms on relationship between Chinese consumers' attitudes and behavioral intentions toward SAP. Results from moderating regression analysis suggest that (1) Chinese consumers' SAP attitudes had a strong positive effect on the purchase intention toward SAP, (2) aesthetic values positively moderated the relationship between the SAP attitude and purchase intention, whereas conspicuous values negatively moderated the relationship, and (3) utility values and social norms did not show any significant moderating influences on the relationship between the SAP attitude and purchase intention. Our study validates the attitude-behavior gap model in sustainable consumer behavior and discusses how the current findings can assist researchers and practitioners in the Clothing and Textiles field alike to fine-tune sustainable programs and marketing strategies in China.

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Protein based scaffolds are preferred for tissue engineering and other biomedical applications owing to their unique properties. Zein, a hydrophobic protein, is a promising natural biodegradable polymer. However, electrospun structures prepared from Zein have poor mechanical and wetting properties. Cellulose acetate (CA) is an economical, biodegradable polymer having good mechanical and water retention properties. The aim of present study was to fabricate a novel material by electrospinning Zein/CA blends. A series of Zein/CA hybrid nanofibers were electrospun and characterized. The attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) spectrum showed the characteristic peaks of both Zein and CA, and was composition dependent. The X-ray photoelectron spectrometry (XPS) curves of Zein/CA blends demonstrated a similar profile to that of pristine Zein nanofibers. Thermogravimetric analyser (TGA) studies confirmed that the Zein/CA hybrid nanofibers have a higher degradation temperature and better thermal stability than pristine Zein nanofibers. The glass transition temperature (T g ) of Zein/CA hybrid nanofibers was also increased in comparison to pure Zein nanofibers as revealed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Zein/CA hybrid nanofibers have hydrophilic surface character as revealed by water contact angle (WCA) analysis. SEM imaging showed bead free morphology of the electrospun nanofibers. The average nanofiber diameter decreased for Zein/CA blends with increasing CA composition. The electrospun Zein/CA hybrid nanofibers may be used for tissue engineering scaffolds and for other biomedical materials.