- 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.
- 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
- 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 & 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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, 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
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 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.
- 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.
- 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 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
- 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.
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