Prof. Dr. Andreas Greiner (left) and Prof. Dr. Seema Agarwal (right) with equipment for electrospinning at the University of Bayreuth. Credit- Christian Wißler
Smart dress
We’ve been hearing a lot about smart textiles recently. From fabrics to regulate body temperature to those that can release medication into the skin, in the future the clothes we wear will no longer be just an aesthetic statement. Industry Europe looks at just some of the innovations in this field over the past year.
IN
the Internet of Things, everything is connected – and this includes what we wear. According to a 2016 report by the technology consultancy Cientifica, the smart textiles industry – dubbed ‘Fashion’s Fourth Industrial Revolution’ – will be worth more than $130 billion by 2025. Recognising that tomorrow’s consumer will expect more from their clothes, textile manufacturers and research institutions are investing in the latest technologies to develop fabrics combining technological components that can monitor external stimiuli, translate this into data and respond accordingly. Special functions of the most recent ‘ultrasmart’ textiles can include regulating body temperature, releasing medication into the
Image credit - Dr Elias Torres Alonso, University of Exeter 14 Industry Europe
skin or even controlling the vibration of muscles during exercise. In addition, there are also more aesthetic applications for smart textiles, such as those that can change colour, light up or even display pictures or video. To give some idea of the areas researchers and manufacturers are focusing on, here are just some of the more interesting stories from the world of technical textile technology over the past year.
Heated clothing technology At this year’s ISPO Munich trade show, DuPont Advanced Materials announced the launch of Intexar Heat, a powered smart clothing technology for on-body heating. “Intexar Heat is a revolutionary stretchable ink and film that when powered, creates a comfortable warmth,” said Michael Burrows, Global Business Manager, DuPont Advanced Materials. “Our team has worked hard to develop a heater that feels like fabric, doesn’t rely on cables, thick wires or big batteries, and can stand up to very cold environments. From outdoor enthusiasts to industrial workers, Intexar Heat can help conquer the elements in comfort, increasing focus and improving performance.”
Formosa Taffeta Company was the first textiles manufacturer to incorporate the Intexar Heat technology as part of its Permawarm line. Permawarm delivers clothing brands a complete garment heater system including the Intexar heater, connectors and control software.
Comfortable conductors Up to now, textiles that are capable of conducting electricity have tended to be rigid, uncomfortable and generally impractical for everyday use. However, researchers at the University of Bayreuth, Donghua University in Shanghai and Nanjing Forestry University think they may have come up with a solution to this with the development of new, more wearable conductive nonwoven materials. The materials developed by Prof. Dr Andreas Greiner’s team from the University of Bayreuth and their Chinese partners are flexible, and can thus adapt to movements and changes in posture. Furthermore, they are air-permeable, meaning they allow the skin to ‘breathe’ normally. These properties have been achieved through a unique production process: rather than inserting metal wires into finished textiles, the scientists modified the
