Textile Field Research Articles

Research progress of wearable devices in textile field: a bibliometric analysis using VOSviewer, RStudio bibliometrix and CiteSpace software tools

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze research trends on “Wearable devices in textile filed” from 2010 to 2023 and determine the important keywords, nations and journals associated with this topic.Design/methodology/approachUtilizing journal literature on wearable devices from the 2010 to 2023 Web of Science (WoS) database, this study employs VOSviewer, biblioshiny of the R software package and the specialized software CiteSpace to generate knowledge graphs for measuring retrieval outcomes.FindingsThe research on wearable devices integrated into textiles between 2010 and 2023 can be divided into three stages: initial slow progress, subsequent rapid advancement and final slow progress, indicating a general rise in the quantity of published material. The terms “fabrication,” “wearable electronics” and “design” are closely linked in this field. China is the most globally networked country in this field, according to the World Collaboration Map. NANO ENERGY ranked first in the number of articles published in journals, with 18 articles and 1,151 citations.Originality/valueThe study identified the present state and research trends in the field of “Wearable devices in textile filed,” offering valuable information for researchers to enhance their understanding of the field’s progress.

Into the Revolution of NanoFusion: Merging High Performance and Aesthetics by Nanomaterials in Textile Finishes

AbstractThe field of technical textiles has grown significantly during the last two decades, with a focus on functionality rather than aesthetics. However, the advancement of NanoFusion technology provides a novel potential to combine better functionality and aesthetic value in textile finishes. NanoFusion incorporates nanoparticles into textile treatments to improve waterproofing, stain resistance, durability, and breathability. This is performed without affecting the textile's visual appeal or aesthetics and may even improve them. This textile finishing revolution is expected to impact industries such as athletics, outdoor clothing, car upholstery, and luxury fashion. It offers cutting‐edge functionality while maintaining style and design integrity. Furthermore, the use of nanoparticle textile coatings opens up new opportunities for personalization and modification. Manufacturers and designers can now experiment with different color combinations, patterns, and textured finishes while maintaining performance characteristics. NanoFusion technology has the potential to transform the textile industry by providing hitherto unattainable levels of performance and aesthetics. This study reviews the current state of the art in nanofinishes for garment textiles, focusing on their many varieties, techniques, mechanisms, and applications. In addition, it addresses significant concerns such as sustainability and the environmental footprint, paving the way for a new era in textile manufacturing.

Editorial – A New Era for Fashion and Textiles Review to advance scholarly literature

This editorial provides the new phase of the Fashion and Textiles Review published by the Institute of Textiles and Fashion Professionals-Ghana to address vital issues, advance knowledge, and new perspectives within the field of fashion and textiles.

Investigation of the oxidative self- polymerization of dopamine under alkaline conditions on wool fabrics

Most studies about polydopamine in the textile field have been related to cotton fibers. There are not many studies about the use of polydopamine on wool fibers. A limited number of studies have focused on the coloring of wool, whereas wool is the fiber with the highest variety of intermolecular attraction forces among all natural and man-made fibers. Polydopamine contains high amounts of catechol and amine functional groups due to its structure. In this study, different from the literature, oxidative self-polymerization of dopamine was achieved on wool fabric for different periods of time, and the coated fabrics were examined with characterization tests and spectrophotometrically. In this study, lower values were obtained than lightness (L*) values reported for other fibers in previous studies, and it was concluded that the wool-PDA interaction is superior to other fibers. Scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy results showed that the polymerization and nano-coating formed successfully and continued to remain on the surface after washing. The lowest lightness value was obtained in the 32 h coating. However, the lowest color change after washing was in the 16 h coating (0.44%). This result showed that the coating was completed within 16–32 hours and there was only accumulation on the surface in the later times.

Flexible Highly Thermally Conductive PCM Film Prepared by Centrifugal Electrospinning for Wearable Thermal Management

Personal thermal management materials integrated with phase-change materials have significant potential to satisfy human thermal comfort needs and save energy through the efficient storage and utilization of thermal energy. However, conventional organic phase-change materials in a solid state suffer from rigidity, low thermal conductivity, and leakage, making their application challenging. In this work, polyethylene glycol (PEG) was chosen as the phase-change material to provide the energy storage density, polyethylene oxide (PEO) was chosen to provide the backbone structure of the three-dimensional polymer network and cross-linked with the PEG to provide flexibility, and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were used to improve the mechanical and thermal conductivity of the material. The thermal conductivity of the composite fiber membranes was boosted by 77.1% when CNTs were added at 4 wt%. Water-resistant modification of the composite fiber membranes was successfully performed using glutaraldehyde-saturated steam. The resulting composite fiber membranes had a reasonable range of phase transition temperatures, and the CC4PCF-55 membranes had melting and freezing latent heats of 66.71 J/g and 64.74 J/g, respectively. The results of this study prove that the green CC4PCF-55 composite fiber membranes have excellent flexibility, with good thermal energy storage capacity and thermal conductivity and, therefore, high potential in the field of flexible wearable thermal management textiles.

Poland in Blue: The Phenomenon of the Denim Clothing Industry in Polish Society During the Socialistic Period

In the People’s Republic of Poland 1 , blue jeans were much more than just an element of clothing. They have become a symbol of freedom, a generational rebellion, and an aspiration for the world on the other side of the Iron Curtain. Aid parcels sent by relatives, mainly from the USA and also from Great Britain, Canada, and Australia played a significant role in getting to know denim clothing in socialist Poland. In the second half of the 1960s, the domestic production of substitute denim-like materials 2 , including denim-like trousers, was started. They were a response to the demand, in particular, of groups of young people for products made of this type of material. The new improvements and material inventions were supervised by the association of clothing industries and research laboratories, which played an essential role in the creation of materials for domestic production (Kortan 1981). A group of active Polish textile and fashion designers contributed to promote comfortable denim clothing from the West. This article presents the role of the denim clothing industry in Poland during the socialist period (1952–1989), considering the cultural context and the impact of this clothing on discovering alternative forms, replacing the originals from capitalist countries. It should be noted that in the People’s Republic of Poland, new types of textile materials were developed and improved so that they corresponded, at least in part, to materials from the West and filled in product gaps. To this end, proprietary commercial versions of fabrics used to produce garments, including the jeans discussed in this publication, were made of a textile known as in Polish word “Teksas” a denim substitute. Researching archival materials and showing achievements in the field of textiles and fashion fills the gap in research on cultural significance of fashion, textile materials and the production of denim and clothing from domestic fabrics of the socialist era.

Wet-spinning fabrication of stretchable multicolor fluorescent fibers augmented with dual-state emissive dyes

Flexible luminous fibers have attracted wide attention in the field of functional and smart textiles. In this work, stretchable multicolor fluorescent fibers were successfully prepared by wet-spinning using thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) and the boron ketoimine fluorophores (TPA-BKI dyes). Due to the donor (D)-acceptor (A) push-pull electronic system and highly twisted triphenylamine (TPA) skeleton, TPA-BKI dyes exhibited bright emission in both solution and solid states. Meanwhile, the polymer chains further improved the emission efficiency of TPA-BKI dyes in TPU matrix by avoiding close contact between dye molecules, as well as preventing intramolecular rotations in the excited states. Wet-spinning can be used for large-scale and continuous preparation of fluorescent fibers. The TPA-BKI/TPU fibers showed excellent flexibility, high mechanical strength, and bright multicolor fluorescent emission (green, yellow, and red, respectively) when the dye content was as low as 0.1 wt%. Overall, the feasibility of large-scale preparation of fluorescent fibers and their excellent properties, such as flexibility, multicolor fluorescence, and mechanical stability, make them suitable for potential applications, including clothing displays, fashion designs, security, and anti-counterfeiting.

Construction and characterization of pickering emulsion stabilized by amphoteric microgel and its application in cotton fabric

Studies with regard to how to obtain superhydrophobic properties by directly coating emulsified silicone oil onto the surface of cotton fabric have always been a hot topic in the field of textiles. In this paper, an amphoteric microgel with thermo- and pH-responsive ability was synthesized. Subsequently, a series of Poly(methylhydrosiloxane) (PMHS) /water emulsions were prepared by using these amphoteric microgels as a Pickering emulsifier. When the PMHS/water system's mass ratio was 5/5 and the microgel content was kept at 2.0 wt%, this emulsion showed good stability allowing the PMHS parts to be dispersed uniformly in aqueous solution. The optical microscopy showed the emulsion's particle size was in a range from 5 to 20 μm and the stability test confirmed that no stratification occurred when this emulsion was subjected to 3000 rpm for 30 min. By using this emulsion as a post-treatment reagent, cotton fabrics with different yarn counts can obtain a water contact angle as high as 150o, which is about 25 % higher than commercial emulsifiers. Furthermore, this cotton fabric can hold superhydrophobicity after 50 rubbing cycles and 10 peel-off cycles. The development of this work provides a new direction for the study of the application of microgels.

Establishing an Incubator: Accelerating Sustainable Fashion SMMEs

The South African Clothing and Textile manufacturing industry has encountered substantial hurdles, notably job losses attributed to imports from regions with lower wage rates and inefficiencies within the value chain, exacerbated by the COVID-19 Pandemic. This situation underscores the potential for industry rejuvenation, particularly in light of escalating costs associated with importing clothing, encompassing labour and transportation expenses. A significant impediment to the industry's advancement is the absence of a robust design sector capable of generating innovative designs. The forthcoming research will delve into an exploration of literature pertaining to international fashion incubators, fashion districts, and fashion clusters. The insights gleaned will serve as the foundation for crafting a model aimed at expanding a clothing and fashion technopreneurship hub located in Cape Town, South Africa, with the specific aim of supporting graduates in the fields of clothing, textiles, or fashion. This strategic approach involves active engagement with emerging entrepreneurs to expedite their journey towards achieving pivotal economic objectives such as innovation and sustainability, thereby augmenting their competitive edge. Furthermore, this initiative aids these entrepreneurs in navigating the complexities associated with launching small businesses by facilitating access to pertinent best practices and customized technology support services tailored to their unique requirements.

Pretreatment and dyeability analysis of cotton and novel Bauhinia vahlii fiber

The textile industry is witnessing a paradigm shift towards sustainable materials, prompting the exploration of novel natural fibers as alternatives to synthetic fibers to meet environmental standards and address the growing demand for eco-friendly and sustainable products. Different natural fibers possess varied properties and are suitable for numerous applications in conventional and technical textiles. The coloration of these textile materials is an important aspect of conventional textiles, which starts with the pretreatment of the material. This study introduces a novel blend of cotton and Bauhinia vahlii fiber, a lesser-known natural cellulosic fiber with promising textile properties, and evaluates its pretreatment outcomes and dyeability characteristics. The study employs a systematic approach to pretreat the cotton and Bauhinia vahlii fiber blend (cotton: Bauhinia vahlii fiber 70:30) in a single bath using a conventional combined scouring bleaching process. The pretreatment process is carried out two times with varied sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) concentrations for different processing times at 90 °C to assess the component fibers’ whiteness index, union bleaching balance, and weight loss percentage under diverse pretreatment conditions. Each time, 50% of the chemicals were used and continued for half of the processing time. The dyeability of the treated fibers is analyzed by dyeing the same in a single bath using amron bright red HF2R bifunctional reactive dye in varied shade depths (1%, 3%, and 5%) and fiber blend ratios (cotton: Bauhinia vahlii fiber 100:0, 90:10, 80:20, 70:30, and 0:100) to assess the color strength, union dyeing balance, and fastness properties. The maximum whiteness was achieved with 6 g per liter (gpl) of NaOH and H2O2 and at a processing time of 150 min with a whiteness index of 80.46 and 54.34 of cotton and Bauhinia vahlii fiber, respectively, with a union bleaching balance of 1.48. The dyed fibers’ colorimetric results confirm that Bauhinia vahlii fiber gives higher color strength than cotton fiber, irrespective of shade depth and blend ratio. The union dyeing balance of 1.2 was achieved at 5% shade depth with a 70:30 cotton Bauhinia vahlii fiber blend. This research contributes to the conventional textile field by introducing a sustainable fiber blend that reduces reliance on synthetic fiber and opens new avenues for utilizing Bauhinia vahlii fiber in conventional textile manufacturing.

Recent Advances in the Development of 1,4-Cyclohexanedimethanol (CHDM) and Cyclic-Monomer-Based Advanced Amorphous and Semi-Crystalline Polyesters for Smart Film Applications.

Polyester-based advanced thin films have versatile industrial applications, especially in the fields of textiles, packaging, and electronics. Recent advances in polymer science and engineering have resulted in the development of advanced amorphous and semi-crystalline polyesters with exceptional performance compared to those of conventional polymeric films. Among these, 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol (CHDM) and cyclic-monomer-based polyesters have gained considerable attention for their exceptional characteristics and potential applications in smart films. This review article provides a comprehensive overview of the recent advances in the synthesis, characterization, and applications of CHDM and cyclic-monomer-based advanced polymers for smart film applications. It discusses the structure-property relationships of these innovative polyesters and highlights their unique characteristics, including thermal, mechanical, and barrier characteristics. Furthermore, this article also emphasizes the solution, melt, and solid-state polymerizations of the polymers. Special emphasis is placed on the influence of the addition of a second diol or second diacid on the performance characteristics of synthesized polyesters/copolyesters to explore their versatile industrial applications. Additionally, the impact of the stereochemistry of the monomers is explored to optimize the characterization of polyesters suitable for industrial applications. Furthermore, this article explores the potential of these advanced polyesters to be considered as materials for smart film applications, especially in the field of flexible electronics. Finally, this article examines the challenges and future recommendations for the development of CHDM and cyclic-monomer-based polyesters for smart film applications. It discusses potential avenues for further research, including in-depth studies for the synthesis and characterization of polyesters, the development of sustainable and biodegradable alternatives to cyclic monomers, alternative green approaches for the synthesis of polymers, etc. This review article provides valuable insight for researchers in academia and industry who are working in the fields of polymer science and materials engineering.

Bacterial Pigments as a Promising Alternative to Synthetic Colorants: From Fundamentals to Applications.

Pigments find widespread application in the fields of food, medicine, textiles, and cosmetics. At present, synthetic colorants dominate the global pigment market. However, the environmental and health hazards associated with synthetic colorants have spurred extensive research on eco-friendly and safe alternatives. Natural pigments are particularly intriguing for meeting consumer demands and sustainable development, as they not only exhibit various vibrant color shades without discernible toxic side effects but also offer additional healthful features such as antibacterial, antioxidant, anticancer, and antiviral properties compared with their synthetic counterparts. Among natural sources, bacterial strains share distinct advantages for large-scale pigment production because of their intrinsic robustness of cellular metabolic systems. This review comprehensively outlines the bacterial sources, extraction and purification methods, structural characteristics, biological activities, and potential applications of typical pigments, including but not limited to violacein, indigoidine, melanin, carotenoids, prodigiosin, and rhodopsin. Additionally, it underscores the primary obstacles to the development and production of bacterial pigments for commercial applications, discussing feasible strategies for overcoming production bottlenecks. This work also provides valuable insights for the scientific and rational advancement of bacterial pigment development.

Photoantimicrobial and Photoantiviral Textiles: Underestimated Potential.

In this review, we summarize the present state of a rapidly developing field of light-activated antimicrobial textiles and their underestimated potential and opportunities.

Diphenyl Ethers: Isolation, Bioactivities and Biosynthesis

Abstract: Diphenyl ethers (DPEs) are mainly produced by microorganisms and plants. The chemical structure of DPEs is relatively simple, and all of these compounds have the structure of biphenyl ethers in their chemical structure, the difference being the difference in the substituents on the benzene ring. Several recent studies have shown antibacterial, antioxidant, antitumor, antitumor, antihemolytic, neuroprotective, and anti-Alzheimer effects. DPEs could be candidate compounds for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, by inhibiting the aggregation of Aβ42. Many DPEs from natural products exhibit good biological activity and they play an important role in the control of microbial infections. Diphenyl ethers have a wide range of applications and research value in the fields of pesticides, pharmaceuticals, textiles, household products, and public health. In this paper, we review the research progress of diphenyl ethers isolated from marine and plant endophytic sources in recent years, including their biosynthesis, and lay the foundation for further utilization and development.

Effect of temperature and relative humidity on the moisture recovery and specific resistance of yak hair fiber

This study measured the moisture regain and specific resistance values of yak hair fiber in a humidified environment to provide a theoretical basis for the development and utilization of yak hair fiber in the fields of textile, electronics and manufacturing. The effects of temperature and relative humidity on moisture absorption and electrical resistance of yak hair fiber were measured, and the effects of ambient temperature and humidity on the moisture regain and specific resistance of yak hair fiber were evaluated when using a new type of water-cooled textile air conditioner as a humidifying device, and the amino acid structure and crystallinity were compared between yak hair fiber and wool fiber. The experimental results show that temperature and relative humidity have a greater effect on the moisture regain rate and specific resistance value of the fiber, and the higher the temperature and relative humidity, the higher the moisture regain rate of yak hair fiber and the lower the specific resistance. When the temperature was 30 °C and the relative humidity was 85%, the fiber had the lowest specific resistance value and the highest moisture return rate. In terms of amino acid species, there is not much difference in chemical structure between yak hair fiber and wool fiber. The crystallinity of yak hair fiber is lower than that of wool fiber.

A dual-enzyme cascade for production of indigo from L-tryptophan

Indigo, as a water-soluble non-azo colorant, is widely used in textile, food, pharmaceutical and other industrial fields. Currently, indigo is primarily synthesized by chemical methods, which causes environmental pollution, potential safety hazards, and other issues. Therefore, there is an urgent need to find a safer and greener synthetic method. In this study, a dual-enzyme cascade pathway was constructed with the tryptophan synthase (tryptophanase, EcTnaA) from Escherichia coli and flavin-dependent monooxygenase (flavin-dependent monooxygenase, MaFMO) from Methylophaga aminisulfidivorans to synthesize indigo with L-tryptophan as substrate. A recombinant strain EM-IND01 was obtained. The beneficial mutant MaFMOD197E was obtained by protein engineering of the rate-limiting enzyme MaFMO. MaFMOD197E showed the specific activity and kcat/Km value 2.36 times and 1.34 times higher than that of the wild type, respectively. Furthermore, MaFMOD197E was introduced into the strain EM-IND01 to construct the strain EM-IND02. After the fermentation conditions were optimized, the strain achieved the indigo titer of (1 288.59±7.50) mg/L, the yield of 0.86 mg/mg L-tryptophan, and the productivity of 26.85 mg/(L·h) in a 5 L fermenter. Protein engineering was used to obtain mutants with increased MaFMO activity in this study, which laid a foundation for industrial production of indigo.

An approach to automatic fault detection in four-point system for knitted fabric with our benchmark dataset Isl-Knit

Knit fabric is one of the dominating fabric types for wearable textile across the whole world and during the production of knit fabric, faults created by different reasons cause difficulties in the subsequent process. The existing fault detection process in the knitting industry is done manually by the human naked eye. To detect faults automatically, deep learning-based models are very efficient and can reduce the workload for fabric inspection. However, implementing a deep learning-based model for fabric fault detection needs a large number of images with different types of knit fabric faults from real-world scenarios to train and for better performance. Most of the existing fabric fault datasets are based on woven fabric, which cannot be used for training because the faults of woven fabric and knit fabrics are completely different. In this research, we propose a new dataset named ISL-Knit. It is a benchmark dataset for knit fabric faults collected from different knit dyeing industries in Bangladesh. Our dataset contains high-resolution images of grey fabric and dyed fabric annotated with 7 types of faults. To provide correct annotation, all images of faults are annotated and verified with the proper reference which can be a great tool for boosting up deep learning-based models for automatic knit fabric fault detection in the textile field. A comparison of the accuracy of the deep learning-based model by training with our proposed dataset and existing knit fabric fault dataset is also done. To develop an automatic fault detection system, we trained the YOLOv5 models with our dataset, considering different image sizes. For real-world implementation, the best models are selected considering mAP and inference time. YOLOv5 models are implemented in Raspberry Pi with a Raspberry Pi camera, a laptop with no dedicated GPU, and a laptop with a dedicated GPU with a web camera to observe the performance. Finally, an automated four-point inspection system is developed by calibrating the camera to generate the score representing the quality of fabrics. The implementation represents the feasibility of a deep learning-based model in knit fabric fault detection, considering the cost and accuracy.

A simple approach to design fabric with flame-retardant and pattern function

The study of fabrics’ flame retardant properties has always been a hot topic in the field of textiles. In this paper, a flame-retardant fabric with a sandwich structure was obtained by combining hydrogel patch method and in-situ polymerization technology via a two-step method. The thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) showed that the hydrogel could improve PLA materials’ thermal stability effectively. The hydrogel treated fabrics’ limiting oxygen index (LOI) value increased from 21.05 % to 80.00 %. The cone calorimeter test demonstrated that the pHRR and THR of the hydrogel treated fabrics decreased to 51.48 % and 55.97 %, respectively. After adding a mixture of ferric oxide and mica during the in-situ polymerization of the hydrogel, the pHRR and THR of the obtained fabric decreased to 43.77 % and 46.00 %, respectively, compared to the original PLA fabric. Furthermore, the mechanical strength test showed that the introduction of hydrogel patch had almost no effect on the mechanical properties of PLA materials. In addition, by using the way that metal ions can be arranged into a special array on the magnetic induction line, under the synergistic effect between ferric oxide and mica, the array formed by the ferric oxide particles on the magnetic induction line was designed with a series of patterns on its surface. Finally, a kind of textile with flame retardant properties and different patterns was obtained.

Functional dyeing of cellulose macromolecule/synthetic fibers two-component fabrics with sustainable microbial prodigiosins

As an important cellulose macromolecular-based material, cotton/polyamide and cotton/polyester fabrics are widely utilized in the textile and garment field due to their combination of the advantages of both cotton and synthetic fibers, such as excellent breathability, hygroscopicity, and abrasion performance. However, the synthetic dyes used in fabric coloration are derived from non-renewable resources, and the long-time dyeing procedure poses large pollution problems. Herein, microbial prodigiosins fermented by Serratia marcescens were employed for cotton/polyamide and cotton/polyester fabric dyeing and functionalizing. The results demonstrated that the prodigiosins suspension exhibited outstanding stability. Synthetic fibers contributed significantly to the overall color of fabrics and provided good dimensional stability and durability. In contrast, cotton fibers imparted relatively lighter color but played an essential role in enhancing the softness and comfort of fabrics. The dyed fabrics presented bright overall color light with good uniformity. Furthermore, the antibacterial rates of the dyed cotton/polyamide and cotton/polyester fabrics were 87.31 % and 89.70 %, respectively. The UPF values of the dyed cotton/polyamide and cotton/polyester fabrics were recorded as 52.3 and 93.5, respectively. This study provided a novel approach for cleaner functional dyeing of cotton/synthetic fiber two-component fabrics using prodigiosins.

A benign synergism of O2 plasma and protein biopolymer for improving some properties of polyester fabrics

Polyester (PET)is the most widely used fiber in the textile and clothing fields by virtue of its cheapness, strength, crease-resistance, stain-resistance, and ease of drying. However, PET fabric lacks the antistatic properties, hydrophilicity, and affinity for most classes of dyes. Here, freshly extracted keratin from poultry feathers and sericin from silkworm cocoons were used for the first time to make oxygen plasma-treated PET fabric surfaces hydrophilic, antistatic, and dyeable with cationic dye. Adopting the pad-dry-cure technique, oxygen plasma-activated PET fabrics were successfully coated with a layer of sericin or keratin as indicated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The effects of plasma irradiation time as well as curing temperature and duration on the properties of the treated fabric were monitored. The results of this study revealed that the plasma/biopolymer-treated fabrics have become dyeable with the cationic dye C.I. Basic Violet 16. The effect of treatment of PET fabric on some of its physical and mechanical properties, such as wettability, antistatic properties, yellowness index, air permeability, water vapor permeability, ultraviolet protection factor, burst strength, and bending stiffness, was monitored. The durability of the finished sample against repeated washing in terms of the fabric resistivity was examined. The alterations in the chemical, crystal, and morphological structures of the treated fabric were assessed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, XPS, X-ray diffraction, and SEM.