Evaluation Report

The reason that I choose textile innovation at the beginning is because i'm a textile student. Along with personal studio work, I think I need more academic and theoretical knowledge to help me to understand more about the textile and fashion industry. Also as English is not my first language, I thinking attending these lectures will really help me gaining textile related vocabulary, and it really did help a lot. 

Throughout the lectures about Textile Innovation, I learned many things, not only about language but also about textile and fashion. From the first lecture, we learned textile application in daily life, the construction of fabric and different types of commercial fibre resources. This lecture inspired me to research about natural fibre art, which I found I'm really interested in a Japanese artist's work, Makiko Wakisaka. The research about her is in my previous blog. On the second lecture, we learned about the non-traditional fibre sources, which is really my most interested part, I always like paper art and 3D structure fabric. So after this lecture I searched about 3D textile which I found Matières Ouvertes , is a French design studio specializing in 3D textiles. Although mainly of there works are woven fabric and I'm a stitcher, while their technique that applying rubber, wire, pvc, ect. Those unusual materials into weaving did inspire me a lot. And the 3D structure that these materials form in textiles is just amazing. Along with the following lectures, I learned Textile industry and sustainability and functionality of textiles. And finally, during this unit, I found a material, which I really interested to, that is Silicone. When I research about unusual textile material application, I found a designer - Tzuri Gueta. He worked with silicone to create beautiful jewelry with strong texture. As a starting point, I research more deeply about silicone, this material itself. And I found that, nowadays silicone appears everywhere in our daily life from automotive to cookware, from dry-clean to cloth coating. There are really some company developing and producing fabric, which coated by silicone, because of the waterproof and heat resistant properties. While with my personal experiment of the silicone, I tried to apply it onto fabric, and it did create really interesting texture, but the smell of this material is discussing, although its not toxic at all. May be is the type of silicone that I choose, so I need to do more research about this material.

After this Territories of Practice Unit, the great improvement for me is when I am researching or looking at a piece of textile, I may not just think I look really nice, I will also think about the properties and functions of this piece of fabric. Can it apply directly on human body? Is it waterproof? Will it be very expensive to produce? What the raw material and where can I get it? All this questions really help with my further career as a textile student and a stitcher. Also recording notes, and research in this blog is also very helpful for my study. We I am free at home I like to research about contemporary textile design and fashion design, but I usually just look at the website and next time when I want to reference something that I had read before, it just so difficult to find in. While writing this blog helps me to gathered, recorded and cleared up all the information that I got during the this period. So I feel really satisfy with writing down all the noted of those lectures, which really helped me to understand more about the contents.

Overall, thanks to Miss Ros Hibbert who's a such lovely teacher, provided really helpful lectures to us, and let us know more about the textile industry. And I will try to use what I learned from those lectures as many as I can in my further study of textile design.

Material Research - Silicone

Silicone is a substance that is composed of both organic and inorganic polymers, and is created by the application of a specific chemical formula.  They are typically heat-resistant and rubber-like, and are used in sealants, adhesives, lubricants, medicine, cooking utensils, and thermal and electrical insulation.  Some common forms include silicone oil, silicone grease, silicone rubber, silicone resin, and silicone caulk

Properties:

Silicones exhibit many useful characteristics:

• Low thermal conductivity
• Low chemical reactivity
• Low toxicity
• Thermal stability (constancy of properties over a wide temperature range of −100 to 250 °C).
• Waterproof and form watertight seals.
• Does not stick to many substrates, but adheres very well to others, e.g. glass.
• Does not support microbiological growth.
• Resistance to oxygen, ozone, and UV light. 
• Electrical insulation properties. Because silicone can be formulated to be electrically insulative or conductive, it is suitable for a wide range of electrical applications.
• High gas permeability: at room temperature (25 °C), the permeability of silicone rubber for such gases as oxygen is approximately 400 times that of butyl rubber, making silicone useful for medical applications in which increased aeration is desired. Consequently, silicone rubbers cannot be used where gas-tight seals are necessary.

Uses:
There are many categories of application: 

• Electrical (e.g., insulation)
• Electronics (e.g., coatings)
• Household (e.g., sealants for cooking apparatus)
• Automobile (e.g., gaskets)
• Airplane (e.g., seals)
• Office machines (e.g., keyboard pads)
• Medicine/dentistry (e.g., teeth impression molds)
• Textiles/paper (e.g., coatings). 

For these applications, an estimated 400,000 tons of silicones were produced in 1991. Specific examples, both large and small are presented below:

Domestic uses:

As a product that has worked its way into our lives in many different ways:

One example of how this material is used is as a sealant in building construction and maintenance. The sealant are used to take care of joints that are not quite flush, as well as crevices in older buildings where settling has occurred. Silicone sealants are produced in both professional and retail formulas, with silicone caulking compound being a common tool kept on hand by the home owner who prefers to take care of his or her space personally.

fig. 1


Another household use is as grease that is used in plumbing. Silicone grease acts as a lubricant that is often applied to O-rings that are used in kitchen and bathroom faucets, as well as with plumbing valves at junctions where the plumbing runs into the house from the main supply system. The grease helps prevent the rings from drying out and cracking, which would result in costly leaks in the equipment.

fig. 2

Silicone also makes an appearance when it comes to cooking. As a component that is often found in parchment paper (cooking paper), the silicone prevents foods that are baked or broiled on the paper from sticking. Which also use in ironing textile, cook paper can prevent  fabric from melting on or sticking on the board.

Cookware

As a low-taint, non-toxic material, silicone can be used where contact with food is required. Silicone is becoming an important product in the cookware industry, particularly bakeware and kitchen utensils.

fig. 3

• Silicone is used as an insulator in heat-resistant potholders and similar items; Silicone oven mitts are able to withstand temperatures up to 260 °C (500 °F), allowing reaching into boiling water.

• Molds for chocolate, ice, cookies, muffins and various other foods.

fig. 4

• Non-stick reusable mats used on baking sheets.
• Other products such as steamers, egg boilers or poachers, cookware lids, pot holders,trivets, and kitchen mats.

fig. 5

Coatings

Silicone films can be applied to such silica-based substrates as glass to form a covalently bonded hydrophobic coating.

Silicone for Fabrics - Clothing and Coatings

With proven silicone technology, manufacturers worldwide can create fabrics, clothing, and sporting goods that are ideal for today’s active lifestyles. Silicone makes clothing more stylish, comfortable, and easier to care for. It also gives automotive and industrial textiles high-performance capabilities. Many fabrics can be coated or impregnated with silicone to form a strong, waterproof composite.

Silicone fabric finishes bring a wide range of benefits to fashion textiles. 

• Add softness
• Reduce shrinkage and improve wrinkle recovery
• Water resistance
• Modify fabric look and feel, provide a jelly or paper touch
• Toughness and heat resistance
• Achieve a permanent crease in trousers
• High-grip properties
• Reduce surface drag
• Breathable, comfortable, and suitable for skin contact.
• For sportswear, silicone coating are strong, durable and resistant to heat, cold moistre, UV rays and fire.

Atex® textile membranes - company for silicon coated glass fibre fabrics.

Atex® from Valmiera Glass UK Ltd is the culmination of hi-tech development - The result is a high-strength, flexible fabric ideal for creating lightweight membrane structures that embrace a new contemporary freedom of form, lightness and ecological appeal.

The Terminal 2 of Heathrow Airport                                                                                    Fig. 6

Fabrics: Atex®, 50 000 sqm
Project architects: LuisVidal & Co
Ceiling solutions: Maffeis Engineering S.p.A.
Year: 2014
photo: http://www.luisvidal.com/

Frank Kim Residence, Los Angeles, United State                                                  Fig. 7

Fabrics: Atex® 3000 TRL
Architect: B+U, LLP
Size: 4,300 sqft
Year: 2006

Resources:

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-silicone.htm[Accessed December 2014]

http://www.atex-membranes.com/casestudies/frank__kim_residence,_los_angeles,_united_states[Accessed December 2014]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicone#Terminology_and_history[Accessed December 2014]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicone_rubber[Accessed December 2014]

http://www.dowcorning.com/content/textiles/textilesfashion/Elastomers_for_Fabric_Coating.asp[Accessed December 2014]

http://www.dowcorning.com/content/discover/discovershowcase/textiles.aspx[Accessed December 2014]

Photos references:

Fig.1 Available at:http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-silicone-caulk.htm#caulking-gun-putting-silicone-sealant-to-installing-a-kitchen-si [Accessed December 2014].

Fig.2 Available at:http://www.directindustry.com/prod/itw-spraytec/silicone-greases-37247-433596.html [Accessed December 2014]

Fig.3 Available at:http://archive.feedblitz.com/86966/~4020771 [Accessed December 2014]

Fig.4 Available at:http://strongerich.manufacturer.globalsources.com/si/6008825755617/pdtl/Ice-cube/1078138640/Pistol-shaped-Silicone-Ice-Tray.htm [Accessed December 2014]

Fig.5 Available at:http://www.btlchemical.com/ProductClass-96-1.html [Accessed December 2014]

Fig.6 & Fig.7  Available at:http://www.atex-membranes.com/ [Accessed December 2014]

Research - Helen Storey

Catalytic Clothing - a new way to purify air

Rather than seeking out ways to proof the garment have less environmental impacts, Helen Storey brings out an idea to make the clothes that actually able to have a positive impact on the environment.

Catalyst clothing is a project shared by the two founders: Professor Tony Ryan, a scientist from the University of Sheffield, and Professor Helen Storey, a designer and artist from the London College of Fashion. Together they are working at the nexus of fashion and science, one that draws on the growing field of nanotechnology to create a fabric additive that can break down pollutants in the air.

The dress is impregnated with a photocatalyst that uses light to break down air-borne pollution into harmless chemicals. This substance could be added to clothes as part of the fabric conditioner in a normal washing cycle.

How does it work:

In chemical, catalyst is a term used to describe something that makes a reaction proceed at a greater rate but isnʼt actually consumed during that reaction. A photocatalyst gains the energy it needs to be active from light. That means to active reaction of the catalyst clothing, just simply walking in the sunshine.

When the light shines on the photocatalyst, the electrons in the material are rearranged and they become more reactive. These electrons are then able to react with the water in the air and break it apart into 2 radicals. A radical is an extremely reactive molecule. These radicals then react with the pollutants and cause them to break down into non-harmful chemicals.

The Catalytic Clothing technology is designed to breakdown the pollutants straight away. However, some pollutants may become attached without being broken down. In this case, the pollutants will be washed off during subsequent laundering. This actually already happens with normal clothing.

Impact:
According to Ryan, 4 people wearing catalyzed jeans in a day would neutralize the nitric oxide air pollution created by one car. 25 people wearing the jeans would undo the damage done in a day by a mass transit bus.

Benefits:

• can be easily apply during laundry
• can be massive  produce in both laundry & clothing industry
• eco-friendly

Disadvantage:

• one garment can only create tiny impact, need large amount of participation
• need to add onto the surface during each time of the laundry?
• Can this technology apply to other products
• Can it apply on any kind of textile?
• Costly?

Resources:
http://www.dezeen.com/2011/06/15/catalytic-clothing-by-helen-storey-and-tony-ryan/
http://www.sustainable-fashion.com/projects/catalytic-clothing/
http://style.time.com/2013/04/22/catalytic-clothing-an-unconventional-collaboration-explores-fabrics-that-can-purify-the-air/
http://www.catalytic-clothing.org/faq.html

Textile Innovation - Week Six

Textile Use - Functionality

• In synthetic raw materials, function is frequently added/embedded at the polymer stage via micro-encapsulation. These functions are more durable.
• For natural raw materials it is added at the yarn or the fabric production stage, where coatings laminates, print etc are applied as a finish.
• These surface applied functions are generally less durable but can sometimes be recharged or reapplied.

 Ultraviolet protection

• Sun burn is a real health hazard, particularly for young children where skin is most at risk.
• SPF factors & ratings can be incorporated into fabric dyes, fibers and laundry detergents.
• Tighter weaves and heavier weights of fabric offer more protection
• Polyester, some bast fibers and ceramic fibers have good natural protection

Fire & spark resistance

• For emergency services, military & industrial clothing, plus nightwear for children
• Carpets and upholstery must also be protected by law
•  Aramid, glass, carbon & wool fibers have some natural resistance
• Chemical finishes can be applied to natural fibers, and metal coatings protect.
• New 'smart' responses are heat shielding

Protection and mobility

• Instead of climbing into a conventional, bulky, gas-pressurized suit, future astronauts may don a lightweight, stretchy 'second skin' garment, lined with tiny, muscle like coils. They would then plug in to a spacecraft's power supply, triggering the coils to contract and essentially shrink-wrap the garment around her body.
• MIT researchers have engineered active compression garments that incorporate small, springlike coils that contract in response to heat.
• The coils are made from a shape-memory alloy (SMA) - a type of material that remembers an engineered shape and, when bent or deformed can spring back to this shape when heated.
• Spacetex 2030

Impact resistance

• Impact & abrasion resistance is important for military, active sports and upholstery textiles
• Branded aramid fiber of Cordura & Kevlar lead the way
• Ballistic protective body armor is now lightweight, breathable & practical
• Stab-resistance uses a combination of aramid fiber and lamination, allowing the fabric to 'heal'.

Waterproof treatment

• Now expected in everyday clothing and essential for outdoor sports clothing & equipment
• Intelligent solutions and nano-technology play a part
• Breathable laminates such as Gore-tex are lightweight & breathable
• 100% cotton and pure wool can be naturally water resistant depending on the fiber type and construction of the fabric
• Ventile is a 100% cotton fabric dating back to WW11, created to reduce loss of life from harsh conditions.
• Made from fine long staple cotton fibers in a very tight plain weave construction, the fibers swell when in contact with water
• With no additional coating, laminating or other treatments, the fabric sheds water & is being used more extensively today.

Moisture management

• Working closely with weatherproof and thermal regulation areas
• Important for sportswear, underwear, socks & shoes, bed linen and sports equipment
• Keeping the skin dry during and after physical activity
• Garments can be quick to dry & are breathable
• Engineered fibers such as Coolmax, and layered membrane protection keeps skin dry and comfortable

Temperature regulation 

• Phase change technology, developed for aerospace, is now used in sports clothing, workwear & bedding
• Micro-encapsulated elements absorb, store & release heat in response to temperature change
• Incorporated into fibers or a fabric surface as a finish, the function assists an optimal skin temperature to be maintained.

Buoyancy & inflatables

• Inflatable textiles can save lives and protect the body against sudden impact
• Air trapping areas can be integrated into garments for sailing & riding
• Cushioning motorcycle clothing can be automatically activated by sudden movement
• Temporary inflatable textile constructions can be used for display and protection.

Reflective textiles

• Providing safety through higher visibility at night
• For emergency services, sports clothing and accessories
• Embedded glass beads for mini reflector dishes reflect light to a dishes reflect light to a distance of 200 mtrs, even under water, for divers' clothing

Refractive textiles

• A biomimetic color shift property originally found in a hogberry plant from South America
• In contrast colors that appear because of absorption of certain wavelengths of light by pigments, structural colors are the result of optical interference of light reflected from nanoscale structures on a surface. The color you see is not that of the substance from which a surface is made, but rather is characteristic of the shape of that surface
• Multiple layers of cells interfere with light waves, as in a soap bubble
• A rainbow of colors can be achieved when the fiber comes under pressure
• Potential use in sportswear that changes in response to muscle tension, squeezing, pressure or heat.

Phosphorescence

• Phosphorescent fiber trap and store energy from light and emit it as a glow
• It is non toxic and can be incorporated into most synthetic fibers
• Permalight uses zinc sulphide & is commercially available as a printing ink
• Electroluminescence used trapped phosphor powder which is 'excited' by an electric current
• This Marmot jacket uses EL for display light panels

Fibre optics

• Plastic optical fiber carries pluses of light along its length, powered by a small battery
• Textiles could incorporate changing text or pattern in soft woven or knitted digital displays
• Certain colored lights are beneficial to health and are used in the medical world
• Fibre-optic camouflage would enable color, light & pattern to blend with the surroundings & the wearer to disappear

Chromatic properties

•  Certain dyes are able to change their color in response to an external stimuli, such as heat, water or UV light
• Thermochromic inks can be activated by conductive thread & a power source, creating a textile display that changes color
• Color change can signal when external temperatures are too high, for firefighter's clothing and military, or in a wound dressing

Easy-care

• Treatments that assist in keeping a garment clean & reduce the time spent caring for it
• Important with the popularity of paler colors all year round, lower laundry temperatures and lighter, finer fabrics
• Nano technology & Teflon treatments impart stain resistant qualities
• Non-iron & easy care in shirting and bed linen areas
• Self-cleaning clothes could be on their way via bacteria impregnated into every single fibre of a fabric, could live, breed and eat up the dirt, creating self-cleaning clothes
• Eventually, the garments in your wardrobe may be able to support a variety of bacteria engineered to eat odour-causing chemicals and human sweat

Self-cleaning

• A durable, omniphobic ie hates everything coating used to produce self-cleaning fabrics.
• Developed initially for use in soldier clothing, has now made its way to the commercial market.
• The omniphobic-coated fabric is said to significantly lower dirt and dust attraction and repel water, oil and many liquid chemicals.
• The treated fabric also has an antimocrobial additive, slowing microbe growth that causes odours
• Emulating the surface profile of a lotus leaf is a biomimetic response to creating self cleaning textile surface

Comfort and ease

• Comfort, fit, ease of movement & crease recovery are imparted by stretch fibers.
• Lycra & Dow XLA are branded elastic fibers
• Mechanical crimped yarns from synthetic fibers provide a gentler comfort stretch
• Power stretch for sports-wear assists performance
• Medical applications include assisting blood flow & reducing burn scarring

Aromatic agents

• Smells have the power to drive emotions & spur memories
• Scented textiles release aroma when agitated or warmed
• Micro-encapsulation traps the scented particles in the fabric
• Aromatherapy elements can be used
• Multi-sensory clothing explores the creation of interactive personal aroma

Insect repellancy

•  Fabric treatments can assist in reducing the harmful effects of insects such as dust mites, particularly in bedding
• Important for young babies before their own immune system develops
• Anti-mosquito and insect repellent clothing uses micro-encapsulation or surface coating of an active insecticide similar to naturally derived permethrin.

Catalytic clothing

• Fibers & finishes can assist in reducing the harmful effects of air pollution
• Helen Storey's work to harnesses the power of a photocatalyst to break down air borne pollutants. The photocatalyst is delivered to the surface of the clothing during laundry as an additive in a product such as a fabric conditioner
• Although one single person's clothes wont make a difference, Dr Storey suggests that a greater number acting together can produce a notable reduction
• Pollen protection textiles have smooth surfaces that shed pollen more easily, & less static electricity to attracts pollen particles.

Health & cosmetic benefits

• Textiles are next to the skin 24/7
• Treatments assist in moisturizing skin & delivering active health benefits
• For a T-shirt weighing 200 gms, a vitamin C content can be imparted that equals the equivalent of 2 lemons
• Moisturizing capsules are trapped onto the fiber's surface via micro-encapsulation
• Anti-cellulite benefit claims have been made by Miss Sixty & Victoria's Secrets

Conductivity

• Conductivity is an essential element in interactive textiles
• It can be imparted by the use of metal fibers, a metal content coating, metal printing ink or decoration. The solution will depend on the product's use and desired functionality
• New research at Coventry University is looking at making individual fibers conductive using silver, and creating specific conductive pathways.
• Gorix is a branded ECT, a carbonise fabric layer with conductive properties used in car seats, motorbike clothing & diving suits.

Power sources

• Lightweight textile-compatible flexible, reliable & washable power sources are essential
• Solar power elements can be woven into a garment or added to the surface as a panel, but this source of power can be unreliable, and is better used as a back-up supply
• Heat - thermal energy & power - Kinetic energy from movement, can be generated by the wearer and harvested
• A recent development is a 'string' battery, bendable & just a few millimeters thick, it could be used as a piping trim on a product or garment
• Development of textile compatible batteries is essential, with flexibility, weavability,   durability and lightness
• Li-ion battery made of carbon nanotube fiber yarns, 1 mm in diameter & lightweight enough to create weavable and wearable textile batteries that could power various devices.

Monitoring & health

• Medical monitoring through smart garments is now possible
• The Lifeshirt can relay and record 'vital signs' data via sensors in the garment
• To monitor sport training, emergency workers and those with health problems
• Mamagoose baby pyjamas can help prevent cot death by detecting danger signals
• Integrated GPS aids location
• Work done by Asha Thompson & Stam Swallow underlines the need for creating useful practical products, particularly those that assist with inclusion for the less able or aging population.
• A good example is this wheelchair cover with imbedded pressure sensors, to prevent pressure sores in users

Monitoring & sport

• Monitoring through smart garments is also used in sport & healthcare sectors.
• Allows real time interaction during activity
• Direct feedback on performance for both trainer and subject
• Real time feedback on pulse, breathing, heart rate, calorie consumption, to optimise training sessions.
• A fall detector or alarm function can be included

Communication & interaction

• Important developments for those with disabilities, and to introduce seamless communication
• Personal protection via GPS and garments that give and attacker a shock
• Integration of personal communication devices and speakers into clothing
• Active camouflage, being developed by the US military, uses fiber optics for futuristic battle dress.