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Knitting wearable technology
May 1st, 2012
Garments made of fabric embedded with technologies such as flexible circuitry, antennas and power sources will revolutionize life in the 21st century—once methods to manufacture those wearable products can be harnessed. An agreement between Genevieve Dion, director of Drexel University’s Antoinette Westphal College of Media Arts and Design, Philadelphia, Pa., and Shima Seiki USA Inc., […]
The future for smart textiles
May 1st, 2012
According to the latest issue of Performance Apparel Markets by Textiles Intelligence, Wilmslow, U.K., smart textiles and wearable technology are poised for rapid growth, if key issues with power sources and laundering can be resolved. Internet-savvy younger users want connectivity, speed and multiple-function communication options. The aging population will benefit from wearable technology that monitors […]
Debugged: insect-repellent work wear
April 1st, 2012
In 2002, shortly after establishing Insect Shield® LLC, Greensboro, N.C., to produce a method of bonding a proprietary insect repellent to consumer apparel, company leaders proposed a pilot test. Cases of Lyme disease, a serious tick-borne illness, kept increasing every year at West Point Military Academy, so Insect Shield used its new process on cadet […]
Protecting gear in outer space
March 1st, 2012
Dutch European Space Agency astronaut André Kuipers joined a Russian cosmonaut and a NASA engineer on a December 2011 mission to the International Space Station, carrying a set of gear pouches full of sensitive, scientific hardware. The pouches, developed by Dutch companies Schonenborg Space Engineering BV, Noordwijk, and TenCate Protective Fabrics, Nijverdal, feature attributes that […]
NRDC says no to nanosilver
March 1st, 2012
Silver is widely used as an antimicrobial in textiles, but a lawsuit filed by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) aims to halt antimicrobial nanosilver used in clothing, bedding and furnishings. In December 2011, the EPA decided to allow HeiQ Materials to use nanosilver in fabrics for four […]
High-tech textile products
January 1st, 2012
Bekaert Textiles, Waregem, Belgium, has launched MediTiss® high-tech textile products designed for the healthcare and hospital market, including smart fabrics used in the SensoTiss mattress cover, which can alert nursing staff or a caretaker when a patient leaves his or her bed. Created to optimize bed comfort and focus on the welfare of patients of […]
FR laminate technology
January 1st, 2012
Gore® Pyrad™ Flame Retardant is a new laminate technology that offers an optimal combination of thermal/flashover burn protection, environmental protection and comfort. The durably bonded laminate solution allows manufacturers to integrate FR performance into protective outerwear in which traditional (non-FR) textiles are used, such as nylon and polyester. Pyrad Flame Retardant, when used in conjunction […]
White workwear for hygienic environments
January 1st, 2012
Despite an explosion of color and style in clothing for health professionals, in environments where hygiene trumps fashion, white seems right. The Hohenstein Institute, Bönnigheim, Germany, offers a new kind of fiber using regenerated cellulose and zinc/zinc oxide treatment for white, antimicrobial and comfortable clothing suitable for health and food-preparation work. The new fibers, as […]
Power-producing fabric sets sail
August 1st, 2011
Patents have been granted to a team at Bolton University, Bolton, U.K., for a flexible cloth that can generate electricity from both solar cells (power from sunlight) and piezoelectric fibers (power from kinetic motion). Among the potential applications for the fabric: sails on a schooner that can provide electricity while catching the wind, computer bags […]
Testing inhalation toxicity from nanoparticles
March 10th, 2011
The explosion of nanotechnology-based products and industries has raised increasing questions about the safety and environmental impact of nanoparticles, and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has a published a new international standard to support inhalation toxicity testing of nanoparticles. Entitled “Nanotechnologies—characterization of nanoparticles in inhalation exposure chambers for inhalation toxicity testing,” ISO 10808:2010 establishes […]