1. technology and computing

New Paradigm
 Since the 19th Century, revolutionary
changes have been occurring at an
unprecedented rate in science and technology
with a profound impact on our lives
 Inventions of ICs, computers, the Internet,
discovery and complete mapping of the
human genome, and many more have
transformed the entire world
 We have also learned from nature!
 Solid foundations of scientific understanding have
been laid to guide the improved usage and processing
technology of natural fibers and the manufacturing of
synthetic fibers
 The technology has progressed so that manufactured
fibers and their products surpass natural fibers in
many aspects
 Biological routes for synthesizing polymers or textile
processing represent an environmentally friendly,
sustainable way of utilizing natural resources
Textiles Materials for Every Need
 Optimized moisture





management
Better heat flow control
Improved thermal
insulation
Breathability
High performance in
hazard protection
Environmental friendly
 Increased abrasion






resistance
Health control and
healing aid
Body control
Easy care
High aesthetic appeal
Enhanced handle
High/low visibility
Engineered Textiles
 Engineered textiles are materials that are
developed and/or designed for a special need
or application where a very high performance
is required
 Engineered textiles may combine fabrics with
glass, ceramics, metal, or carbon to produce
lightweight hybrids with incredible properties.
Sophisticated finishes, such as silicone
coatings and holographic laminates, transform
color, texture, and even form.
Durability
HIGH
PERFORMANCE
Comfort
Appearance
Retention
Protection
Engineered/Smart Textile Materials
Sustainable Resource
No Environmental Harm
Safe Human Use
Smart Technology
 We are inspired to mimic nature in order to
create clothing materials with higher levels of
functions and smartness
 Cloning silk fibers was a first step
 Can the skin -a smart material- be mimicked?

The skin has sensors that can detect pressure, pain,
ambient conditions,etc. and can intelligently
function with environmental stimuli
 Smart/interactive textiles (SIT) are materials
and structures that sense and react to
environmental conditions or stimuli, such as
those from mechanical, thermal, chemical,
electrical, magnetic or other sources.
 SIT are no longer a science-fiction fantasy. For
example, there are in the market self-cleaning
carpets, memory-shaped and environmentresponsive textiles, and anti-insomniac microfibers.
 According to the manner of reaction, SIT can
be divided into:

Passive smart materials, which can only sense
the environmental condition or stimuli,
 Active smart materials, which sense and react
to the condition or stimuli,
 Very smart materials, which can sense, react
and adapt themselves accordingly, and
 Intelligent materials, which are those capable
of responding or activated to perform a function
in a manual or pre-programmed manner
 How does a smart material work?
Trigger or
Stimuli
The sensors provide a nerve
Sensing
system to detect signals
Response
or Action
The actuators act upon the
detectedActuation
and evaluated
signal either directly or from
a central control unit
CONTROLLING
The processor analyzes and
Processing
evaluates the signals
Areas of R & D
 For sensors - actuators:
 photo-sensitive materials
 fibre optics
 conductive polymers
 thermal sensitive materials
 shape memory materials
 intelligent coating materials
 chemical responsive materials
 micro-capsules
 micro- and nano-materials
Areas of R & D (2)
 For signal transmission, processing and
control:


neural networks and control systems
cognition theory and systems
 For integrated processes and products:
 wearable electronics and photonics
 adaptive and responsive structures
 bio-mimics
 tissue engineering
 chemical/drug releasing
Fiber Focus
Today, the focus is on specialty products
engineered for specific end-uses and on
creative ways to market these products
Microdenier
nylons
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Holofiber
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acan
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achieve
sumptuous
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It is a combination
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accelerate
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and
modified nylons
One nylon
build
strengthacid
in the
body
only accepts
dyes
and rejects
cationic ones; the other one acts
the opposite way
Lastol,
afibers
newofcomfort
stretch
Copper
have
antiCopolymers
polyester
provide
fiber
is with
blended
in hand,
cotton shirts
inflammatory,
anti-microbial
and
fabrics
a soft
and
blouses,properties.
garment-washed
anti-fungal
Copper is
dimensional
stability,
moisture
denims,
casual
shirts,
etc.
for
gradually
absorbed
direct
transportability,
easeupon
of
dyeing
improved
processing
contact
with
the skin, efficiencies
improves
and colorfastness
with
feel and
easy care
bloodcotton
circulation,
increases
energy and has anti-arthritic
properties
Reflective Technology
A technology has been created to convert
proprietary materials into miniature
reflectors that, when imbedded into fabric
by the millions, reflect oncoming light,
such as automobile headlights, in a way
that illuminates the full silhouette of a
person, bicycle or any other object.
The reflectors are smaller than a grain of
sand and finer than a human hair. They
can be imbedded into the weave of almost
any fabric. The end result is a fabric that
remains soft to the touch and retains its
function and fashion. During the day, the
treated fabrics are indistinguishable from
untreated fabrics.
Thermal Performance
Enhancing Fabric
Hydroweave® provides
extraordinary protection against
heat, actively cooling the
wearer through evaporation,
and helping to maintain the core
body temperature in high-heat
environments
It is a three-layer design that combines special hydrophilic and
hydrophobic fibers into a fibrous batting core. The batting is
sandwiched between a breathable outer shell fabric and a
thermally conductive, inner lining
Flash Dried Fabrics
3XDRY® finishing technology was developed to
provide a treatment that retains water resistance on
the face of a fabric and increases wicking on the back.
The two functions are truly separated within the
fabric, which remains highly breathable.
3XDRY® uses a special process to apply a
hydrophilic finish on the back that wicks perspiration
away from the body, spreading it over the fabric, and
evaporating it quickly on the face. It also has a
hydrophobic finish that repels water and dirt.
The fabric dries six to eight times faster than
untreated fabric. 3XDRY ® also incorporates a
hygienic treatment to control odor.
Protective Flex
The new “smart response” fiber is
proving to enhance passenger safety
because of its unique energymanagement properties.
Securus™ is the first in a new category of polyester copolymer
fibers being developed for managed-load applications. It
combines polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which provides
restraining properties, and polycaprolactone (PCL), which
provides flexibility and cushioning
During a collision, Securus fiber seat belts protect the passenger
in a three-step process: holding the passenger securely in place;
elongating and cushioning the body as it absorbs the energy of
its forward motion; and restraining and limiting that motion.
Thermal Sensitivity
SmartSkin™ hydrogel is a new technology involving
a hydrophilic/hydrophobic copolymer, which is
embedded in an open-cell foam layer bonded to the
inside of a closed-cell neoprene layer in a composite
wet suit fabric with nylon or nylon/Lycra® outer and
inner layers.
SmartSkin absorbs cold water that has flushed into the suit and
expands to close openings at the hands, feet and neck, preventing more
water from entering. Water trapped inside the suit heats up upon body
contact. If the water warms up past a transition temperature determined
by the proportion of hydrophilic to hydrophobic components, the
hydrogel releases water and contracts, allowing more water to flush
through the suit. This passive system constantly regulates the internal
temperature — no batteries or mechanical action are needed.
Phase Change Materials
Outlast® temperature-regulating
technology effectively recycles body heat,
keeping the wearer’s skin temperature
within a comfortable range.
Outlast was first developed for use in astronaut uniforms and as
a protection for instruments against the severe temperature
changes in outer space. The technology is now used in apparel,
footwear, equipment and linens.
Outlast is a paraffin wax compound that is micro-encapsulated
into thousands of miniscule, impenetrable, hard shells. It
recycles body heat by absorbing, storing, distributing and
releasing heat on a continuous basis, keeping the wearer’s skin
temperature within a comfortable range.
Nano Technology
 Nano-particles are permanently attached to cotton or synthetic fibers.
The change occurs at the molecular level, and the particles can be
configured to imbue the fabric with various attributes. Nanotechnology combines the performance characteristics associated with
synthetics with the hand and feel of cotton
Nano-fibers attached to
cotton fibers
Nano-fibers cause
liquids to roll off
 Nano-fibers 1/1000 the size of a typical cotton fiber are attached to the
individual fibers. The changes to the fibers are undetectable and do not
affect the natural hand and breathability of the fabric
Wearable Technology
Clothing is currently supposed to have more functions than just
certain climatic protection and good look. These functions can be
referred to wearing and durability properties.
A revolutionary new property of clothing is to exchange
information.Clothing is now capable of recording, analyzing,
storing, sending and displaying data, which is a new dimension if
intelligent systems. Clothing can extend the user’s senses,
augment the view of reality and provide useful information
anytime and anywhere the user goes.
Application fields are:
• Working: displaying helpful data, connecting
to the internet or to other people
• Medicine: monitoring health parameters
• Security: detecting danger, calling for help
Microbes Begone!
An anti-microbial technology has been developed
by which it embeds AgION™, a silver-based
inorganic zeolite, in a solution-dyed polyester
Fossfibre® bicomponent fiber. Fossfibre with
AgION is suitable for all textile applications in
which anti-microbial protection is desired.
The bicomponent fibers in Fossfibre are specially designed so
that AgION is found only on the sheath, providing controlled
release for optimum exposure to the destructive bacteria.
The silver ions from the ceramic compound are released at a
slow and steady rate. Ambient moisture in the air causes lowlevel release that effectively maintains an anti-microbial surface.
As the humidity increases and the environment becomes ideal
for bacteria growth, more silver is released.
Bio-mimics
Fibers have been developed that can
quickly change their color, hue, depth of
shade or optical transparency by
application of an electrical or magnetic
field could have applications in coatings,
additives or stand alone fibers.
Varying the electrical or magnetic field changes the optical
properties of certain oligomeric and molecular moieties by altering
their absorption coefficients in the visible spectrum as a result of
changes in their molecular structure.
The change in color is due to the absence of specific wavelengths
of light; it varies due to structural changes with the application of
an electromagnetic field.
Tissue Engineering
Tissue engineering uses living cells and their
extracellular components with textile-based
biomaterial scaffolds to develop biological
tissues for human body repair. The scaffolds
provide support for cellular attachment and
subsequent controlled proliferation into
predefined tissue shapes.
Such an engineering approach would solve the severe shortage
problem associated with organ transplants. Textile-based scaffolds
have been used for such tissue engineering purposes. The most
frequently used textile-based scaffolds are non-woven structures,
preferably of biodegradable materials, because then there is no
permanent foreign-body tissue reaction toward the scaffolds and,
over time, there is more volume space into which the engineered
tissue can grow.
Implications for Research
 Protective textile materials benefit from the development
of a myriad of high-performance, thermal-stable fibers,
and woven composites (passive systems)
 Protective clothing can greatly improve performance by
adding smart/interactive features
 Smart thermal protective clothing:
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Detection of vital signals
Global Positioning System (GPS)
Wireless, hands-free communication
Cooling – warming system
Incorporated warning signaling
3-layer interlock woven structure
Multi-layered woven structures
can increase thermal and fire
protection by adding controlled
air gaps. They can be tailored
to provide other features such
as an anti-static system, and
physiological comfort
air gaps
5-layer interlock woven structure
In a structured layered system,
smart features may be added and
supported by the matrix formed
Detection of Vital Signals
Sensatex is developing a SmartShirt™ System
specifically for the protection of public safety
personnel, namely firefighters, police officers,
and rescue teams. Used in conjunction with a
wireless-enabled radio system, the SmartShirt™
can monitor the health and safety of public
safety personnel/victims trapped in a building or
underneath rubble with the ability to detect the
exact location of victims through positioning
capability. In addition to monitoring vital signs,
the system can detect the extent of falls, and the
presence of hazardous gases; it also offers twoway voice communication
Global Positioning System (GPS)
Textiles integrated with sensory devices
driven by a GPS can detect a user’s exact
location anytime and in any weather.
Interactive electronic textiles with
integrated GPS enhance safety by quickly
locating the wearer and allowing the suit
to be heated. GPS can provide added
safety for firefighters and emergency
personnel by facilitating offsite
monitoring of vitals
Wireless, hands-free communication
Fabric area networks (FANs) enable electronic devices to exchange digital
information, power, and control signals within the user’s personal space and
remote locations. FANs use wireless RF communication links using
currents measuring one nanoamp; these currents can transmit data at speed
equivalent to a 2400-baud modem
Cooling – Warming System
A new high-tech vest has been developed to help keep
soldiers, firefighters, etc. alive in the searing
temperatures of deserts, mines and major fires. The vest
uses a personal cooling system (PCS), which is based on
heat pipe technology which works by collecting body
heat through vapor filled cavities in a vest worn on the
body. The heat is then transferred via a flexible heat pipe
to the atmosphere with the help of an evaporative
cooling heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is similar in
principle to a bush fridge where a cold cloth is put over a
container and the temperature drop caused by
evaporation keeps the food cool. It is designed to be
worn by personnel underneath NBC (nuclear, biological
and chemical) clothing, body armor and other protective
clothing.
Warning Signaling
A combination of sensors and small flexible light emitting displays (FLED)
can receive and respond to stimuli from the body, enabling a warning signal to
be displayed or sent. The sensors can monitor EKG, heart rate, respiration,
temperature, and pulse oximetry readings. If vital signals were below critical
values, a FLED would automatically display, for example, a flashing red light,
and a wireless communication system could send a distress signal to a remote
location.
What Lies Ahead?
 The range and variety of high performance textiles
that have been developed to meet present and
future requirements are now considerable
 Textile materials are now combined, modified and
tailored in ways far beyond the performance limit
of fibers drawn from the silkworm cocoon, grown
in the fields, or spun from the fleece of animals
 And the future promises even more!
 What new capacities should we expect as a result
of future developments in smart/interactive
textiles?
 They should include tera and nano scale magnitudes,
complexity, cognition and holism
 The new capability of tera scale takes us three orders
of magnitude beyond the present general-purpose and
generally accessible computing capabilities. The
technology of nano scale takes us three orders of
magnitude below the size of most of today’s humanmade devices


It allows to arrange molecules inexpensively in most of the
ways permitted by physical laws
It lets make supercomputers that fit on the head of a fiber,
and fleets of medical nano-robots smaller than a human cell
to eliminate cancers, infections, clogged arteries
 Fibers are relentlessly replacing traditional materials
in many more applications. From super-absorbent
diapers, to artificial organs, to construction
materials for moon-based space stations
 Heat generating/storing fibers/fabrics are now being
used in skiwear, shoes, helmets, etc
 Fabrics and composites integrated with optical
fibers sensors are used to monitor bridges and
buildings
 Garments integrated with sensors and motherboards
can detect and transmit injury and health
information of the wearer
 Clothing with its own senses and brain are
integrated with Global Positioning Systems (GPS)
and mobile phone technology to provide the
position of the wearer and directions
 Biological tissues and organs, like ears and noses,
are grown from textile scaffolds made from biodegradable fibers
 Integrated with nano-materials, textiles are
imparted with very high energy absorption
capacity and other functions such as stain
proofing, abrasion resistance, light emission, etc.