1. What is meant by the term
Key questions:
What are SMART materials?
How are SMART materials used in textile items?
How are fabrics inspired by biomimicry?
What is meant by the term
Smart materials?
Can you name any
examples?
- A Modern material is a material that has been designed for a specific purpose or need.
- A Smart material is a material that reacts and changes to the environment around them.

2. Synthetic micro fibres Lycra blends Polartec Composite materials
Key questions:
What are SMART materials?
How are SMART materials used in textile items?
How are fabrics inspired by biomimicry?
Modern materials are those that are continually being developed through the invention of new or improved processes
Examples include:-
Teflon
Fibre Optics
Neoprene
Paperfoam
Cornstarch Polymers
Lyocell
Nano Technology
Synthetic micro fibres
Lycra blends
Polartec
Composite materials
Cellular materials
Carbon & Kevlar fibre
Maplex
Fibre Optics
Mountain Boots made from Synthetic Micro Fibres
Neoprene Laptop Cover
Teflon film on Photovoltaic Units
Helmet made from Carbon/Kevlar fibre

3. Modern materials - Microfibres
Key questions:
What are SMART materials?
How are SMART materials used in textile items?
How are fabrics inspired by biomimicry?
Modern materials - Microfibres
Extremely fine synthetic fibres, mainly
polyester and polyamide
They are very lightweight, soft and drap
well
Used for a variety of clothing products
Often blended with natural fibres to give
high performance fabrics for outdoor and
sports use.
TACTEL-is a polyamide microfibre
TENCEL-is a regenerated mircofibre classed as LYOCELLS

4. Modern materials - Kevlar
Key questions:
What are SMART materials?
How are SMART materials used in textile items?
How are fabrics inspired by biomimicry?
Modern materials - Kevlar
Heat-resistant and strong
They are used in aerospace and military applications, for ballistic rated body armour fabric and ballistic composites, in bicycle tires, and as an asbestos substitute
good resistance to abrasion
good resistance to organic solvents
low flammability, no melting point, degradation starts from 500°C

5. Modern Materials - Gortex
Key questions:
What are SMART materials?
How are SMART materials used in textile items?
How are fabrics inspired by biomimicry?
Modern Materials - Gortex
Waterproof breathable fabric is engineered to handle two tasks simultaneously: repel precipitation and release perspiration vapor.
Blocks wind
Only used with synthetics-naturals absorb but the moisture can go back onto the skin
Used in tents and waterproof walking gear.
Wound care- creates a barrier that stop moisture going back onto the skin but allows the skin to breathe

6. Key questions:
What are SMART materials?
How are SMART materials used in textile items?
How are fabrics inspired by biomimicry?
Smart materials have one or more properties/features that can respond to external stimuli, such as stress, light, temperature, moisture, pH, electric or magnetic fields and return to there original state when the stimuli is removed.
Examples include:-
Shape memory alloys
Polymorph
Photochromic Materials
Thermochromic Materials
Phosphorescent Materials

7. Smart Materials - Thermochromic
Key questions:
What are SMART materials?
How are SMART materials used in textile items?
How are fabrics inspired by biomimicry?
Heat Sensitive fabric
Smart Materials - Thermochromic
Thermochromic liquid crystals can be incorporated into special ink and printed onto different surfaces such as plastic, paper, textiles and ceramics. They respond to heat by changing colour at specific temperatures.
Thermo = Heat, Chromic = Colour
Examples include:-
Kettles
Thermometers
Battery Testers
Heat Sensitive Ceramics
Heat Sensitive Paper
Clothing
Thermochromic
Ceramics
Colour Changing Kettles
Thermometers

8. Smart Materials - Photochromic
Key questions:
What are SMART materials?
How are SMART materials used in textile items?
How are fabrics inspired by biomimicry?
Smart Materials - Photochromic
Photochromic pigments reacts
to bright light (Ultra Violet).
Photochromic lenses are light sensitive lenses that darken on exposure to U V light, protecting the user’s eyes from harmful radiation.
This T-shirt uses Photochromic inks for decoration
purposes. Special pigments change colour when
exposed to solar light and reverse back to clear
when the light source is removed.
Bike helmet with a Photochromic Safety Visor

9. Smart Materials - Microencapsulation
Key questions:
What are SMART materials?
How are SMART materials used in textile items?
How are fabrics inspired by biomimicry?
Smart Materials - Microencapsulation
A way to insert, fragrances, antibacterial substances into fibres
Capsules are broken through friction and release the scent, or chemical
You can insert moisturisers into tights to condition the skin, or caffeine to prevent tired legs
Facemasks at hospitals may have it in to prevent germs spreading, in fabric conditioners
Embedded into designer clothes

10. Key questions:
What are SMART materials?
How are SMART materials used in textile items?
How are fabrics inspired by biomimicry?
Biomimicry
Biomimicry, like the name suggests means "to imitate life" literally. The
word is derived from the Greek word "bios" and "mimesis" also known
as biomimetics.
It practices the use of the marvels of nature and its
functioning for developing new innovative technology. Many innovative
textile products have been engineered using biomimicry.
One suchproduct that was inspired from nature is Velcro, invented by
George De Mestral, when one evening he took his dog for a walk, and
noticed burrs stuck to his fur. Similarly there are many textile
technologies that mock the works of nature to come up with novel
products.
Water repellent surface inspired by the lotus plant.
A company achieved the results by producing water resisting fabrics by silicon coating of two polyester fabrics.

11. Key questions:
What are SMART materials?
How are SMART materials used in textile items?
How are fabrics inspired by biomimicry?
Speedo's Fastskin FSII swimsuit mimics the texture of sharkskin to improve the speed of its wearer.

12. Key questions:
What are SMART materials?
How are SMART materials used in textile items?
How are fabrics inspired by biomimicry?
"Shed Me" garments slough off their layers like a snake, reducing the need for frequent laundering.

13. Key questions:
What are SMART materials?
How are SMART materials used in textile items?
How are fabrics inspired by biomimicry?
Inspired by the microscopic structure of the Morpho butterfly's wings, Morphotex requires no dyes or pigments.

14. What are the top 3 facts or
Key questions:
What are SMART materials?
How are SMART materials used in textile items?
How are fabrics inspired by biomimicry?
Activity - Modern and Smart materials:
Use the revision guides (pg48 - pg51) to help you produce revision resources focussing on modern and Smart materials.
You could produce a mind map, cue cards or any other resource you feel will be helpful.
Key Focus:
Conductive materials
Nanotechnology
What are the top 3 facts or
pieces of information
you will take away from
this lesson?