Advanced Textiles Research Articles

Crystalline Bacterial Surface Layer (S-Layer) Opens Golden Opportunities for Nanobiotechnology in Textiles.

This study focuses on the successful recrystallization of bacterial S-layer arrays of the Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 4356 at textile surfaces to create a novel method and material. Optimum bacterial growth was obtained at approximately 45 °C, pH 5.0, and 14 h pi. The cells were resuspended in guanidine hydrochloride and the 43 kDa S-protein was dialyzed and purified. The optimum reassembly on the polypropylene fabric surface in terms of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), reflectance, and uniformity (spectrophotometry) was obtained at 30 °C, pH 5.0 for 30 minutes in the presence of 2 gr/l (liquor ratio; 1:40) of the S-protein. Overall, our data showed that the functional aspects and specialty applications of the fabric would be very attractive for the textile and related sciences, and result in advanced technical textiles.

Investigation of the Thermomechanical Behavior of a 2 × 2 TWILL Weave Fabric Advanced Textile Composite

The thermomechanical performance of a 2 × 2 twill weave fabric advanced textile composite was evaluated. The tensile, compressive, and flexural properties of flat beam specimens of the composite were tested at room temperature, in water (24.9 to 96.7°C), and in liquid nitrogen (−96.9 to 99.4°C) by using a high-precision instrument called the dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA). The storage modulus and tanδ of the carbonfiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) specimens at various temperatures were evaluated. The scanning electron micrograph (SEMs) of deformed composite specimens revealed their failure mode (fiber pull-out, debonding, crack propagation, delamination, matrix cracking, and kinking of fibers).

Intumescent flame-retardant and self-healing superhydrophobic coatings on cotton fabric.

Flame-retardant and self-healing superhydrophobic coatings are fabricated on cotton fabric by a convenient solution-dipping method, which involves the sequential deposition of a trilayer of branched poly(ethylenimine) (bPEI), ammonium polyphosphate (APP), and fluorinated-decyl polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (F-POSS). When directly exposed to flame, such a trilayer coating generates a porous char layer because of its intumescent effect, successfully giving the coated fabric a self-extinguishing property. Furthermore, the F-POSS embedded in cotton fabric and APP/bPEI coating produces a superhydrophobic surface with a self-healing function. The coating can repetitively and autonomically restore the superhydrophobicity when the superhydrophobicity is damaged. The resulting cotton fabric, which is flame-resistant, waterproof, and self-cleaning, can be easily cleaned by simple water rinsing. Thus, the integration of self-healing superhydrophobicity with flame retardancy provides a practical way to resolve the problem of washing durability of the flame-retardant coatings. The flame-retardant and superhydrophobic fabric can endure more than 1000 cycles of abrasion under a pressure of 44.8 kPa without losing its flame retardancy and self-healing superhydrophobicity, showing potential applications as multifunctional advanced textiles.

Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Induced by Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles Is an Earlier Biomarker for Nanotoxicological Evaluation

Zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) have been widely used in cosmetics and sunscreens, advanced textiles, self-charging and electronic devices; the potential for human exposure and the health impact at each stage of their manufacture and use are attracting great concerns. In addition to pulmonary damage, nanoparticle exposure is also strongly correlated with the increase in incidences of cardiovascular diseases; however, their toxic potential remains largely unclear. Herein, we investigated the cellular responses and endoplasmatic reticulum (ER) stress induced by ZnO NPs in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) in comparison with the Zn2+ ions and CeO2 NPs. We found that the dissolved zinc ion was the most significant factor for cytotoxicity in HUVECs. More importantly, ZnO NPs at noncytotoxic concentration, but not CeO2 NPs, can induce significant cellular ER stress response with higher expression of spliced xbp-1, chop, and caspase-12 at the mRNA level, and associated ER marker proteins including BiP, Chop, GADD34, p-PERK, p-eIF2α, and cleaved Caspase-12 at the protein levels. Moreover, ER stress was widely activated after treatment with ZnO NPs, while six of 84 marker genes significantly increased. ER stress response is a sensitive marker for checking the interruption of ER homeostasis by ZnO NPs. Furthermore, higher dosage of ZnO NPs (240 μM) quickly rendered ER stress response before inducing apoptosis. These results demonstrate that ZnO NPs activate ER stress-responsive pathway and the ER stress response might be used as an earlier and sensitive end point for nanotoxicological study.

The potential of advanced textiles for fabric formwork

A cross-discipline group funded by EPSRC Limesnet, discusses ‘Structural woven formwork’ from a textile perspective, where the adoption of more sophisticated textile construction enables manufacture of new types of flexible and embedded fabric formworks for potential use in the construction industry, including fibre systems for reinforcing building components, containment structures and layered geo-textiles. In-filled with concrete, aggregate or earth, new formwork fabrics are designed with anisotropic properties to provide enhanced structural performance, permeability and surface finish compared with commercial off-the-shelf fabrics. Dual-function fabrics are introduced that provide permanent formwork through the use of robust internal woven reinforcement and cavity systems to enhance strength. Matched with specific formwork casting and construction methods, these structures could enhance and progress the scope, scale and performance of current formwork, or enable new structures that are currently difficult to achieve. The developments provide key pointers for the progression of the discipline and automation of the process.

Hollow Poly(aniline-<I>co</I>-pyrrole)–Fe<SUB>3</SUB>O<SUB>4</SUB> Composite Nanospheres: Synthesis and Characterization

Yaofeng Zhu1, Qing-Qing Ni2 3 ∗, Li Zhang4, and Toshiaki Natsuki3 1Interdisciplinary Graduate School of Science and Technology, Shinshu University, 3-15-1 Tokida, Ueda 386-8576, Japan 2Key Laboratory of Advanced Textile Materials and Manufacturing Technology Ministry of Education, Zhejiang Sci.-Tech. University, Hangzhou 310018, P. R. China 3Department of Functional Machinery and Mechanics, Shinshu University, 3-15-1 Tokida, Ueda 386-8576, Japan 4Faculty of Engineering, Shinshu University, 4-17-1 Wakasato, Nagano, 380-8553, Japan

Advanced textiles for health and well-being

From medical implants to spacesuits, advanced textiles have the potential to transform human habitats and transportation, protect the environment and support personal health and well-being. This book explores and celebrates the latest technological advances in fibres and fabrics, demonstrating their beauty and ingenuity, and showing how their exciting applications affect all aspects of our lives. Informative and inspirational, this is an essential resource for the design professional, fashion student, or anyone fascinated by cutting edge technologies and innovative textiles.

Spatial modelling of 3D-woven textiles

When analysing for instance permeability and mechanical behaviour of advanced textiles, a representative description of the textiles’ architecture is desired. Realistic geometric representations of textiles are however often either difficult to obtain due to limitations in modelling tools, or judged unfeasible to generate due to unreasonable modelling efforts. In this paper a scheme is presented that enables modelling of the internal strand geometry including details of the strand path and smoothly varying cross-section size and shape, on a meso-scale. The main modelling artifice is to initially model the strand perimeters as inflatable tubes in an explicit finite element simulation. The tubes are initially made slender to avoid strand inter-penetration, and then expanded under general contact conditions until the desired volume fraction of strand is reached. For validation a model is compared with pictures from a computer tomography scan of a 3-dimensionally woven carbon fibre preform. The correlation between the simulated geometry and the real sample is striking. The results also indicate that the approach is relatively robust in terms of sensitiveness to variations of input data and starting conditions.

As a Link to Advanced Textile Mechanical and Electromechanical Center of Research and DevelopmentSchool-enterprise Cooperation and Training Innovative Engineering Talents

The major of advanced textile mechanical design and automation is a characteristic profession of School of Mechanical Engineering of Tianjin Polytechnic University. Since its establishment in 1978, it has gone through the course of near 30 years ，and has trained a large number of talented people for our country. In the new historical conditions, how to exert the professional advantages of cultivating innovative talents has become a hot topic. This paper analyzes the disadvantages that the college students who is trained by the closed education of the institutions of higher learning in the recent years can not meet the real requirements of the enterprises to the innovative talents ,and it is difficult that the college teachers and students conduct practical activities in the enterprises, proposes the establishment of " the Advanced Textile Mechanical and Electromechanical Center of Research and Development " that is the link of the school-enterprise cooperation and training innovative talents. It truly sets up a win-win mechanism between the school and enterprises and solves the above disadvantages. Through several years’ practice, after going into the enterprises the graduates can become skilled quickly and have strong practical ability and innovative design capability, and they are widely acclaimed by the enterprises.

Fibre materials for advanced technical textiles

In this article, most kinds of fibre materials used for advanced technical textiles are systematically introduced. The definition of advanced technical textiles and the scope of fibre materials used for advanced technical textiles are given in the introductory chapter, PET, nylon and PP fibres are explained as three major conventional fibres for advanced technical textiles. High mechanical performance fibres such as carbon fibre and aramid fibre, and high heat resistance fibres such as SiC fibre are introduced in chapters 3 and 4, respectively. Several kinds of function fibres such as separation function, optical, electric conductive, adhesive are introduced in chapters 5 to 10. Specialty material fibres such as PVA and PLA, modified fibres for specific function and modified fibres for specific end-use are also introduced in chapters 11 to 13. The final chapter is assigned to introduce nano-fibres which include three kinds of organic nano-fibres manufactured by bottom-up way, by electro-spinning and by top-down way, and also carbon nano-tube and nano-fibre.

Enabled apparel: the role of digitally enhanced apparel in promoting remote empathic connection

This research explores the role of digitally enhanced apparel in encouraging empathic linkage between geographically distant individuals. The research draws from the diverse fields of communications theory, neuropsychology, presence technologies and technologically advanced textiles, and suggests that a nexus of these disciplines may provide significant opportunities for enhancing the user interactivity of garments. The paper then describes a series of prototypes that the author has developed, in collaboration with a fashion designer and electronic engineers, to encourage remote empathic connection through the real time transference of heartbeat. The paper concludes with a brief discussion regarding what has been learnt through the design and development process, particularly the difficulties in bridging theory and practice, and the role of design in the development of wearable electronics projects.

The FLECS expandable module concept for future space missions and an overall description on the material validation

The future space exploration missions aim to reduce the costs associated with design, fabrication and launch for ISS, Moon and Mars modules, while simultaneously increasing the useful volume. Flexible and inflatable structures offer many advantages over conventional structures for space applications. Principal among the advantages is the ability to package these structures into small volumes for launch. Design maturation and the development of advanced materials and fabrication processes have made the concept of an inflatable module achievable in the near future. The Multipurpose Expandable Module (FLECS) Project sponsored by ASI (Italian Space Agency) whose prime contractor is Alcatel Alenia Space Italia, links the conventional and traditional technology of modules with the innovative solutions of inflatable technology. This project emphasizes on demonstrating the capability in using inflatable technology on space structures aiming to substitute the conventional modules in future manned missions. FLECS has been designed using advanced textiles and films in order to guarantee the structural reliability necessary for the deployment and packaging configurations. A non-linear structural analysis has been conducted using several numerical codes that simulate the deployed structural characteristics achieving also the damping resistance during the packaging. All the materials used for the flexible parts have been selected through a series of mechanical tests in order to validate the more appropriate ones for the mission. The multi-layer pneumatic retention bladder and the intermediate restraint layer are composed of polymer sheets, ortho-fabrics and elastomers like polyurethanes. The External protection shield is configured using several layers of impact absorption materials and also several layers of space environment (UV, IR, atomic oxygen) protection materials such as Kapton, Mylar and Nextel. The validation of the fabrics, the films and the final prototype assembly are tested in the Space Environment Simulator (SAS), located in the SASLab laboratory of the Aerospace Engineering Department of the “La Sapienza” University of Rome.

The Effect of Wool Fiber Variables on Tactile Characteristics of Homogeneous Woven Fabrics

This work examined the extent to which wool fiber variables (fiber diameter, length and bulk) influence the tactile characteristics of otherwise homogeneous fabrics, i.e., fabrics constructed from standardized fiber content, yarn structure, dye, and finishing treatment. Subjects were 24 female students enrolled in advanced Clothing and Textiles courses at the University of Otago and 20 male Textile Scientists. Results showed that structurally homogeneous fabrics (but with differing wool fiber variables) could be distinguished as having different tactile characteristics. Significant differences in the ranking of roughness (F (5,42) = 11.29, p < .001) and prickliness (F (5,42) = 12.84, p < .001) occurred among these fabrics. Smooth and less prickly perceptions were associated with fiber diameter of less than 23 microns and fiber bulk greater than 31 cm3/g; rougher and more prickly perceptions occurred when fiber diameter was greater than 34 microns and fiber bulk less than 21 cm3/g. No significant difference was found among fabrics on the basis of warmth to the touch (F (5,35) = 1.52, ns).

4656938 Baler stuffer mechanism

When analysing for instance permeability and mechanical behaviour of advanced textiles, a representative description of the textiles’ architecture is desired. Realistic geometric representations of textiles are however often either difficult to obtain due to limitations in modelling tools, or judged unfeasible to generate due to unreasonable modelling efforts. In this paper a scheme is presented that enables modelling of the internal strand geometry including details of the strand path and smoothly varying cross-section size and shape, on a meso-scale. The main modelling artifice is to initially model the strand perimeters as inflatable tubes in an explicit finite element simulation. The tubes are initially made slender to avoid strand inter-penetration, and then expanded under general contact conditions until the desired volume fraction of strand is reached. For validation a model is compared with pictures from a computer tomography scan of a 3-dimensionally woven carbon fibre preform. The correlation between the simulated geometry and the real sample is striking. The results also indicate that the approach is relatively robust in terms of sensitiveness to variations of input data and starting conditions.

Investigation of Wear Behaviour of Sewn Assemblies of Viscose Linings with Different Treatment

Different types of chemical treatment of textile are widely applied in advanced textile. Finishing of textile can provide additional functional properties for products or/and to improve the appearance of final product as well as to improve their mechanical properties. In this research the influence of the industrial treatment of viscose linings on the parameters of fabric surface friction, on fabric surface appearance as well as on the slippage resistance of yarns at a seam was investigated. Raw, dyed, dyed and softened, dyed and non-slip finished plain weaved linings were investigated. The slippage resistance of yarns at a seam in woven fabrics was evaluated according to standard EN ISO 13936-1:2004. The friction was investigated according to the standard DIN 53375 in a fabric-fabric friction pair. Surface of raw, dyed, dyed and softened viscose lining was investigated using SEM. The obtained results have shown that the friction parameters as well as the parameters of seam slippage resistance of dyed or dyed and softened fabrics were higher than the ones of raw fabric. The highest differences in those parameters were obtained for lining that was dyed and treated with non-slip finishing. That type of finishing influenced the break of lining yarns without typical to the other investigated linings slipping near a stitching line.http://dx.doi.org/10.5755/j01.ms.17.2.485