New uses for silkworm cocoons

August 1, 2012  |  Industry News

Silkworm cocoons, which are extremely light, tough and plentiful, are “ideal for the development of bio-inspired composite materials,” according to Oxford University researchers David Porter and Fujia Chen. Potential applications for cocoon-based materials are protective armor and fabricated car…
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Nano-silver as antimicrobial: Is it safe?

June 1, 2012  |  Industry News

The Hohenstein Institute is part of the E.U.-based public research project “UMSICHT” (circumspection), and is developing scientific data to measure the impacts of nano-silver technology. Many unanswered questions exist concerning the behavior of nano-silver particles throughout the life cycle of…
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DSM invests in energy nanotechnology

May 12, 2012  |  Industry News

Concerns over global climate change and a rise in energy prices are likely to create opportunities in nanotechnology discoveries in the energy sector. Royal DSM N.V., Heerlen, The Netherlands, has invested in NanoHoldings LLC, Rowayton, Conn., a company that specializes in nanoenergy breakthroughs a…
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Body armor sales survive budget cuts

May 12, 2012  |  Industry News

A new report by Visiongain, a London-based provider of industry and business intelligence, indicates that military body armor and personal protective gear will be a $1.07 billion market in 2012, despite defense budget cuts planned by many nations, including the U.S. “An underlying desire and respo…
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Knitting wearable technology

May 1, 2012  |  Industry News

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 Antoine…
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The future for smart textiles

May 1, 2012  |  Industry News

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 multip…
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Protecting gear in outer space

March 1, 2012  |  Industry News

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 Engine…
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NRDC says no to nanosilver

March 1, 2012  |  Industry News

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 allo…
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Power-producing fabric sets sail

August 1, 2011  |  Industry News

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 p…
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Testing inhalation toxicity from nanoparticles

March 10, 2011  |  Industry News

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 o…
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