Smart and Technical Textiles

Why do I need to know about Smart and Technical fabrics? This subject is often included in your GCSE exam A recent exam question showed a baseball cap and asked for a name of a smart fabric and an explanation of how it would be used to enhance the product.

What are Technical Textiles? Technical textiles have been developed for their performance, and functional properties. The aesthetics (visual appearance) is less important. They are often made of microfibres (synthetic fibres up to 100 times finer than human hair)

Who uses Technical Textiles? The building industry The agricultural industry The medical industry Automotive and Aeronautical industries The Armed forces and the Police Sportsmen and women Technical Textiles are all around us.

Here are just a few examples: Super absorbent medical textiles used in wipes, wound dressings, nappies. Super stretchy polyester yarns knitted on machines (no seams) & used in artery replacement

Combating MRSA in hospitals X-Static® is the name of new yarn which uses silver in its production. Trials have shown it will eliminate 99.9% of bacteria within 1 hour including MRSA Future uses could be hospital bedding & pyjamas.

Technical Fabrics used by the Armed Services and Police Kevlar – used in body armour / bullet proof vests. High Visibility jackets use strips of 3M retro-reflective tape. This works by concentrating the light source & reflecting it back.

Lots of Technical Fabrics in Sportswear Nomex - fire retardant used in Formula 1 (& also oven gloves) Gortex – water repellent and windproof: used in cycle jackets, outdoor wear

Breathable Fabrics Coolmax by DuPont was developed for Sportswear: it transports moisture away from the body to the surface of the fabric, to keep you dry & comfortable.

Biomimetics These are fabrics that have been designed to mimic nature. Speedo’s Fastskin® swimsuit was developed using V- shaped fibres which mimic the ridges found on the skin of a shark

Electronic Textiles These are becoming more common & are a fast-growing part of the textiles industry. They meet 2 consumer needs: –Fashion –The desire for mobile communication and entertainment devices.

Electronic Textiles Soft switches can be incorporated into garments which have been woven with conductive threads You could keep your i- pod safe in your bag & turn up the volume without opening it, or plug your phone into your jacket &, text your friends with buttons on your sleeve!

The possibilities are endless!

What are Smart Textiles? Smart textiles are designed to react to conditions around them. They can respond to external stimuli, e.g. Hot or cold temperatures Light Pressure Power Time

Memory Textiles Temperature & pressure sensitive foam that moulds to the shape of the body & returns to normal when pressure is removed. Originally developed by NASA to help astronauts deal with G- Force when blasting-off into space

Pressure response Fabric D3o is a new innovation It is a soft malleable most of the time When it comes into contact with force it hardens on impact Have a look at this clip to see how it works: DoXqc_Ihttp:// DoXqc_I

Micro-encapsulation Chemicals / Fragrances are captured in microscopic polymer bubbles which are added to natural or microfibres. When the fabric is rubbed or comes into contact with the skin, the bubbles slowly burst to release their content

Textiles with Micro-encapsulation Fragrances added to socks to combat smelly feet Sea Minerals added to tights to help reduce cellulite Anti allergen chemicals added to bedding

Dye Technology Smart chemicals can be added to dyes which are printed on to textiles. Some are purely for fun and novelty value Others can have more serious uses. Fragrance can be added to dyes to make scratch & sniff T-shirts, baby’s fabric books, etc.

Thermo chromic dyes These dyes react to heat They change colour at a particular temperature. The resulting colours & effects will depend if they are applied just to a fabric, or mixed with another dye.

Photo chromic dyes Photo chromic dyes react to day light / UV light & change colour. Products include beads & trims, threads & fabrics Have you seen photo chromic lenses in glasses?

Phosphorescent Pigments These dyes are used in glow-in-the dark products Often used in prints on novelty clothing such as children’s nightwear, clothes for clubbing or Halloween costumes Originally developed for clock hands & numbers Some baby’s dummies have this treatment

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