Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles4010009
Authors: Yongliang Liu
There has been an interest in understanding the relationship between textile cotton fiber strength (or tenacity) and structure for better fiber quality measurement and enhancement. This study utilized coupled Stelometer and high volume instrument (HVI) measurements with attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy methods to relate fiber strength and associated properties (Stelometer elongation and HVI micronaire) with structure properties on six Upland (as A, B, C, D, E, and F) and one Pima cultivar. Although Stelometer tenacity agreed with HVI strength in general, the Upland D cultivar (immature) was observed to show the lowest HVI strength value, while the Upland F cultivar (larger infrared crystallinity index) was found to possess the smallest Stelometer tenacity value. A few strong and significant correlations were noted, for example, between infrared crystallinity and Stelometer elongation for the Upland A fibers, between infrared maturity and Stelometer tenacity for the Upland C fibers, and between infrared maturity and HVI strength for the Upland D fibers. Furthermore, there were apparent distinctions in regressions and statistics of examined correlations between each Upland cultivar and their combined fiber set, addressing the challenge of understanding the unique response between fiber physical and structure properties from different measurements even within one cotton cultivar.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles4010008
Authors: Dineo A. Bopape David E. Motaung Nomso C. Hintsho-Mbita
Wastewater contaminated with dyes from the textile industry has been at the forefront in the last few decades, thus, it is imperative to find treatment methods that are safe and efficient. In this study, C. benghalensis plant extracts were used to synthesise by mass 20 mg/80 mg zinc oxide–carbon spheres (20/80 ZnO–CSs) nanocomposites, and the incorporation of the nanocomposites with 1% silver (1% Ag–ZnO–CSs) and 1% gold (1% Au–ZnO–CSs) was conducted. The impact of Ag and Au dopants on the morphological, optical, and photocatalytic properties of these nanocomposites in comparison to 20/80 ZnO–CSs was investigated. TEM, XRD, UV-vis, FTIR, TGA, and BET revealed various properties for these nanocomposites. TEM analysis revealed spherical particles with size distributions of 40–80 nm, 50–200 nm, and 50–250 nm for 1% Ag–ZnO–CSs, 1% Au–ZnO–CSs, and 20/80 ZnO–CSs, respectively. XRD data showed peaks corresponding to Ag, Au, ZnO, and CSs in all nanocomposites. TGA analysis reported a highly thermally stable material in ZnO-CS. The photocatalytic testing showed the 1% Au–ZnO–CSs to be the most efficient catalyst with a 98% degradation for MB textile dye. Moreover, 1% Au–ZnO–CSs also exhibited high degradation percentages for various pharmaceuticals. The material could not be reused and the trapping studies demonstrated that both OH• radicals and the e− play a crucial role in the degradation of the MB. The photocatalyst in this study demonstrated effectiveness and high flexibility in degrading diverse contaminants.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles4010007
Authors: Carmela Tania Prontera Marco Pugliese Fabrizio Mariano Daniela Taurino Roberto Giannuzzi Vitantonio Primiceri Marco Esposito Antonio Andretta Giuseppe Gigli Vincenzo Maiorano
Textile-based electronics represents a key technology for the development of wearable devices. Light-emitting textiles based on OLED architecture are particularly promising due to their intrinsic flexibility and possibility to be fabricated on large areas using scalable processes. Fabric planarization is one of the most critical issues in their fabrication. Here we report a fast, simple, and industrially scalable planarization method based on the transfer of surface morphological properties from silicon to fabric. A liquid resin is used as a planarization layer, and by exploiting the low roughness of a ‘guide substrate’ it is possible to replicate the smooth and uniform surface from the silicon to the planarization layer. The result is a fabric with a flat and homogeneous polymer layer on its surface, suitable for OLED fabrication. In particular, the effect of resin viscosity on the surface morphology was evaluated to obtain the best planarization layer. The best device shows high luminance and current efficiency values, even after 1000 bending cycles. We also explored the possibility of tuning the color emitted by the device by using a fluorescent fabric as a down-converting layer. Thanks to this approach, it is in principle possible to achieve white emission from a very simple device architecture.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles4010006
Authors: Kristina Klinkhammer Hanna Hohenbild Mohammad Toufiqul Hoque Laura Elze Helen Teshay Boris Mahltig
Textiles are used for many different applications and require a variety of properties. Wet functionalization improve textiles’ properties, such as hydrophilicity or antimicrobial activity. Chitosan is a bio-based polymer widely investigated in the textile industry for this purpose. A weaving comprising a cotton/polyester mix and a pure-polyester weaving was functionalized with different concentrations of chitosan to determine the most robust method for chitosan detection in both cotton- and polyester-containing materials. Additionally, mixtures of chitosan with 3-glycidyloxypropyltriethoxy silane (GLYEO) or 3-aminopropyltriethoxy silane (AMEO) were applied in a one-step or two-step procedure on the same fabrics. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) combined with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and dyeing with Remazol Brilliant Red F3B demonstrated the presence of chitosan and silanes on the textiles’ surfaces. While non-functionalized textiles were not stained, the dependency of the dyeing depths on the chitosan concentrations enabled us to infer the efficacy of the very short processing time and a mild dyeing temperature. The one-step application of AMEO and chitosan resulted in the highest presence of silicon on the textile and the greatest color intensity. The functionalization with GLYEO reduced the water sink-in time of polyester, while chitosan-containing solutions increased the hydrophobicity of the material. Washing experiments demonstrated the increasing hydrophilicity of the cotton/polyester samples, independent of the type of functionalization. These experiments show that chitosan-containing recipes can be used as part of a useful method, and the type of functionalization can be used to adjust the hydrophilic properties of polyester and cotton/polyester textiles. Via this first step, in the future, new combinations of bio-based polymers with inorganic binder systems can be developed, ultimately leading to sustainable antimicrobial materials with modified hydrophilic properties.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles4010005
Authors: Ana Kramar Matea Korica Mirjana Kostić
The electrokinetic properties of materials give useful insight into the behavior of surfaces in contact with liquids and other compounds and their quantification is a powerful tool to predict their behavior during further processing and application, especially in textile materials. In this work, we perform a comparative analysis of influence of the two most common selective oxidative protocols for viscose (regenerated cellulose) fabrics on subsequent functionalization with chitosan, and cellulose fabrics’ electrokinetic properties, zeta potential in a pH range of approx. 3–10, and isoelectric point (IEP). For oxidation before deposition of chitosan, sodium periodate and 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxy radical (TEMPO) were used. The content of functional groups in oxidized cellulose fabric (carboxyl and carbonyl groups) was determined by titration methods, while amino functional groups’ availability in samples with chitosan was determined using the CI acid orange 7 dye absorption method. This study reveals that the periodate oxidation (PO) of cellulose is more effective for binding chitosan onto material, which gave rise to higher availability of amino groups onto cellulose/chitosan material, which also influenced the shift in zeta potential curve towards positive values at a pH below 5. Analysis of a relationship between zeta potential increase at pH 4.4 and amino groups’ amount measured using absorption of CI acid orange 7 dye at pH 4.4 revealed dependency that can be fitted linearly or exponentially, with the latter providing the better fit (R2 = 0.75).
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles4010004
Authors: Adilson Brito de Arruda Filho Paulo Roberto Lopes Lima Ricardo Fernandes Carvalho Otavio da Fonseca Martins Gomes Romildo Dias Toledo Filho
The use of fabric in reinforcing cement-based materials expands their applications for various types of construction elements. Additionally, employing renewable sources of plant-based fabrics contributes to reducing the environmental impact of the construction industry. However, the variability in the properties of plant fibers and fabrics necessitates prior studies to confirm their effectiveness as reinforcement materials. In this study, a new sisal fabric was produced and utilized as reinforcement in cement-based matrix composites. The sisal fibers, yarns, and fabrics produced were tested under direct tension. Five composites were manufactured by manual lamination, with reinforcement ranging from one to five layers, and were subjected to direct tension and flexural testing. The results indicate that, while the fiber shows brittle failure, the yarn and fabric exhibit a gradual loss of strength after reaching the maximum tension. All composites display strain-hardening and deflection-hardening behavior, with multiple cracking and an increase in tension and deformation before rupture. The mechanical properties exhibited improvement with an increase in the number of layers, and composites with four and five layers displayed distinct behavior, demonstrating increased stiffness after the occurrence of multiple cracking and a better mechanical performance, qualifying them for use as a construction element.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles4010003
Authors: Hastia Asadi Joerg Uhlemann Natalie Stranghoener Mathias Ulbricht
This paper presents experimental investigations into the freeze–thaw response of two common architectural coated woven fabrics. Strip specimens for the tensile tests were exposed to −20 °C for three hours followed by three hours of thaw at ambient temperatures. This was repeated for a maximum of 100 cycles. Afterwards, the residual tensile strength was measured and compared to results achieved for test specimens without prior freeze–thaw cycles. Maximum mean tensile strength reductions of approximately 21% (warp direction) and 19% (weft direction) for probed polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)-coated woven glass fiber fabrics were identified, while no remarkable tensile strength deterioration rate was observed for the investigated polyvinyl chloride-coated woven polyethylene terephthalate materials. Overall, the results indicate that freeze–thaw cycles can have a significant deteriorating impact on the mechanical properties of glass-PTFE fabrics.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles4010002
Authors: Emma Kay Jessica Levick Tawanda Machingura Stephen Bird
Textiles are increasingly playing a role as a therapeutic medium in the disability field as well as in everyday life. This paper aims to review the literature on the relationship between textiles and sensory integration or sensory preferences in the general population. A brief literature review was conducted using PubMed (MEDLINE), SCOPUS, and Google Scholar. The review of the current literature highlights some key themes in the literature, including the indication that adaptive and sensory clothing design requires consideration of the textiles and fabrics being used, the functionality and appearance of garments, and affordability and access. The evidence suggests that clothing design should utilize soft fabrics which are seamless, have limited external tags, support social participation and functional engagement in daily activities, and are accessible.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles4010001
Authors: Alain González-Sánchez Ricardo Rosas-Macías José E. Hernández-Bautista Janett A. Valdez-Garza Nayeli Rodríguez-Fuentes Florentino Soriano-Corral Antonio S. Ledezma-Pérez Carlos A. Ávila-Orta Víctor J. Cruz-Delgado
In this study, textile fiber prototypes based on polyester and different Cu nanoparticles (CuNP) content were produced using melt-spinning to obtain bi-component multifilament fibers and melt-blowing to obtain non-woven fabrics. The prototypes were tested against pathogenic microorganisms such as S. aureus, E. coli, and C. albicans. It was shown that bi-component fibers offer excellent protection against pathogens, with up to 99% growth inhibition with 0.5% w/w for S. aureus and E. coli; meanwhile, non-woven fabric only shows activity against E. coli from 0.1% w/w of CuNP. Using different analytical techniques, it was possible to identify that the CuNP were confined exclusively in the outer cover of the bi-component fibers which may be associated with increased antimicrobial activity compared to the fibers in the non-woven fabric. The use of polymeric nanocomposites based on polyester/copper offers an alternative of great interest due to the versatility of the raw material and the high efficiency of copper nanoparticles as an antimicrobial additive.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles3040027
Authors: Kuok Ho Daniel Tang
Textile waste constitutes a significant fraction of municipal solid waste sent to landfill or incinerated. Its innovative management is important to enhance sustainability and circularity. This review aims to present the latest policies and the state-of-the-art technologies in the collection, sorting and recycling of textile waste. Policies at global and regional levels are increasingly made to address the sustainability of the textile industry and integrate the concept of circular economy. They are crucial to driving changes and innovations in current textile waste management. The Internet of Things, big data, blockchain and smart contracts have been proposed to improve transparency, traceability and accountability in the textile waste collection process. They optimize collection routes, and transactions and agreements among stakeholders. The sorting of textile waste using near-infrared spectroscopy, optical sorting and artificial intelligence enables its separation based on composition, color and quality. The mechanical recycling of textiles regenerates fibers with the same or different applications from those of the original fabrics. Fibers have been used for making building and slope protection materials. Chemical recycling depolymerizes waste textiles using chemicals to produce monomers for new textiles or other materials, while biological recycling uses enzymes and microorganisms for this purpose instead of chemicals. Thermal recycling recovers energy and fuels from textile waste through pyrolysis, gasification and hydrothermal liquefaction. These innovations may have the drawbacks of high cost and scalability. This review contributes to decision making by synthesizing the strengths and weaknesses of the innovations in textile waste management.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles3040026
Authors: Raphael Romao Santos Nozomi Katayama Sachiko Sukigara
In recent years, using non-trained individuals in sensory science for analytical tasks has gained traction. Identifying attributes enabling non-experts to express perceptions is crucial for accurate fabric assessments and effective communication of product properties to consumers. This study explored the potential utility of the Japanese onomatopoeia tsuru-tsuru as a sensory attribute for evaluating fabric surface properties. Two experiments were conducted. The first ranked 16 samples to identify those eliciting the tsuru-tsuru sensation, exploring its relationship with attributes like smoothness and coolness. The second involved a detailed descriptive sensory evaluation of selected samples, examining the relationship between tsuru-tsuru, coolness, slipperiness, and hardness. Fabric preferences assessment and cluster analysis were also employed to understand individual differences in perception. Sensory assessments revealed tsuru-tsuru’s comparable performance with attributes like smoothness and slipperiness, facilitating effective sample distinction. Participants showed high agreement, indicating shared perceptions. Preferences favored fabrics with tsuru-tsuru qualities. The clustering analysis revealed participants had slightly different interpretations of tsuru-tsuru. Overall, results indicated the positive potential value of tsuru-tsuru in describing textile surfaces for non-trained individuals.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles3040025
Authors: Martin Scheurer Danny Friese Paul Penzel Gözdem Dittel Shantanu Bhat Vanessa Overhage Lars Hahn Kira Heins Chokri Cherif Thomas Gries
Textile-reinforced concrete (TRC) is a composite material consisting of a concrete matrix with a high-performance reinforcement made of technical textiles. TRC offers unique mechanical properties for the construction industry, enabling the construction of lightweight, material-minimized structures with high load-bearing potential. In addition, compared with traditional concrete design, TRC offers unique possibilities to realize free-form, double-curved structures. After more than 20 years of research, TRC is increasingly entering the market, with several demonstrator elements and buildings completed and initial commercialization successfully finished. Nevertheless, research into this highly topical area is still ongoing. In this paper, the authors give an overview of the current and future trends in the research and application of textiles in concrete construction applications. These trends include topics such as maximizing the textile utilization rate by improving the mechanical load-bearing performance (e.g., by adapting bond behavior), increasing design freedom by utilizing novel manufacturing methods (e.g., based on robotics), adding further value to textile reinforcements by the integration of additional functions in smart textile solutions (e.g., in textile sensors), and research into increasing the sustainability of TRC (e.g., using recycled fibers).
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles3040024
Authors: Md Rashedul Islam Kevin Golovin Patricia I. Dolez
Thermophysiological comfort is a crucial aspect of human life, contributing to health and work performance. The current paper aims to enhance the understanding of current research, progress, and remaining challenges regarding clothing thermophysiological comfort from a textile science perspective. It provides a comprehensive review of several facets of clothing thermophysiological comfort, focusing on the history of thermophysiological comfort prediction models, heat and moisture transfer mechanisms in the skin–clothing–environment system, controlling factors of thermophysiological comfort, textile materials for superior thermophysiological comfort, and thermal comfort assessment techniques. The paper shows that previously developed thermophysiological comfort models were mainly based on the human thermoregulation process. However, the effect of the air gap size between the human skin and the cloth layer, i.e., the microclimate, on the heat and moisture transfer in the skin–clothing–environment system has been largely overlooked. In addition, thermophysiological comfort models of skin–clothing–environment systems generally only considered dry thermal resistance and evaporative resistance, yet many other fabric properties have effects on human thermophysiological comfort. Potential future directions are identified to fill some of the current gaps. A conceptual model of clothing comfort to contribute to a better understanding of thermophysiological comfort is also proposed.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles3030023
Authors: Martín Butto María Lluisa Maspoch Celina Bernal
In this work, two commercial extruded filaments for 3D printing obtained from different NatureWorks PLA resins (Ingeo™ Biopolymer 3D850 and Ingeo™ Biopolymer 4043D) were solid-state drawn at varying temperatures and subsequently heat treated by annealing. The aim was to analyze the effect of post-processing of industrial fibers (solid-state drawing and annealing treatment) with varied composition (PLA grades with different contents of D-isomer) on the mechanical performance and thermal stability of the obtained PLA fibers. Morphological, thermal, and mechanical characterizations were performed for the undrawn filaments and drawn fibers, both before and after heat treatment. Drawn fibers presented a fibrillar core–shell structure, and their mechanical properties were greatly improved with respect to undrawn filaments in accordance with their higher crystallinity. The resin with the higher content of D-isomer (4043D) resulted in lower crystallinities with a subsequent decrease in mechanical properties. After heat treatment, drawn fibers exhibited completely different behaviors depending on the PLA resin, with 3D850 fibers being much more stable than 4043D fibers, which underwent molecular orientation upon drawing rather than crystallization. The solid-state drawn fibers obtained herein are comparable to commercial fibers in terms of mechanical properties.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles3030022
Authors: Surya Nasrin Sumit Mandal MD. Momtaz Islam Adriana Petrova Robert J. Agnew Lynn M. Boorady
Quick drying is one of the most crucial factors in the comfort and performance of active sportswear clothing. It helps to keep the wearer dry and comfortable by effectively wicking away sweat and moisture from the body. In the light of this, a substantial number of previous researchers have identified fabric properties and types that have a significant impact on fabric drying performance. Studies have also been conducted to examine the impact of fabric drying on human physiology during sports-related activities. However, there are still some technical knowledge gaps in the existing literature related to the drying performance of active sportswear fabrics. This review article provides a critical analysis of the literature on the impact of various fabric attributes as well as the physiological and environmental factors on moisture management and drying performance. The key issues in this field are determined so that future research can be directed and this scientific field can advance in order to improve the overall performance of active sportswear fabrics.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles3030021
Authors: Karl Kopelmann Mathis Bruns Andreas Nocke Michael Beitelschmidt Chokri Cherif
Warp knitting is a highly productive textile manufacturing process and method of choice for many products. With the current generation of machines running up to 4400 min−1, dynamics become a limit for the production. Resonance effects of yarn-guiding elements and oscillations of the yarn lead to load peaks, resulting in breakage or mismatches. This limits material choice to highly elastic materials for high speeds, which compensate for these effects through their intrinsic properties. To allow the processing of high-performance fibers, a better understanding of the viscoelastic yarn behavior is necessary. The present paper shows a method to achieve this in longitudinal yarn direction using a dynamic mechanical analysis approach. Samples of high tenacity polyester and aramid are investigated. The test setup resembles the warp knitting process in terms of similar geometrical conditions, pre-loads, and occurring frequencies. By recording the mechanical load resulting from an applied strain, it is possible to calculate the phase shift and the dissipation factor, which is a key indicator for the damping behavior. It shows that the dissipation factor rises with rising frequency. The results allow for a simulation of the warp knitting process, including a detailed yarn model and representation of stitch-formation process.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles3030020
Authors: Yu Chen Jacob Hart Minyoung Suh Kavita Mathur Rong Yin
With the development of smart and multi-functional textiles, conductive yarns are widely used in textiles. Conductive yarns can be incorporated into fabrics with traditional textile techniques, such as weaving, knitting and sewing. The electromechanical properties of conductive yarns are very different from conventional yarns, and they also affect the processability during end-product manufacturing processes. However, systematic evaluation of the electromechanical properties of commercial conductive yarns is still elusive. Different conductive materials and production methods for making conductive yarns lead to diverse electromechanical properties. In this work, three types of conductive yarn with different conductive materials and yarn structures were selected for electromechanical characterization. A total of 15 different yarns were analyzed. In addition, the change of resistance with strain was tested to simulate and predict the possible changes in electrical properties of the yarn during weaving, knitting, sewing and other end uses. It was found that Metal-based yarns have good electrical properties but poor mechanical properties. The mechanical properties of Metal-coated yarns are similar to conventional yarns, but their electrical properties are relatively poor. The data shown in this research is instructive for the subsequent processing (weaving, knitting, sewing, etc.) of yarns.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles3030019
Authors: Mona Knoblich Mohammad Al Ktash Frank Wackenhut Volker Jehle Edwin Ostertag Marc Brecht
Cotton contamination by honeydew is considered one of the significant problems for quality in textiles as it causes stickiness during manufacturing. Therefore, millions of dollars in losses are attributed to honeydew contamination each year. This work presents the use of UV hyperspectral imaging (225–300 nm) to characterize honeydew contamination on raw cotton samples. As reference samples, cotton samples were soaked in solutions containing sugar and proteins at different concentrations to mimic honeydew. Multivariate techniques such as a principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares regression (PLS-R) were used to predict and classify the amount of honeydew at each pixel of a hyperspectral image of raw cotton samples. The results show that the PCA model was able to differentiate cotton samples based on their sugar concentrations. The first two principal components (PCs) explain nearly 91.0% of the total variance. A PLS-R model was built, showing a performance with a coefficient of determination for the validation (R2cv) = 0.91 and root mean square error of cross-validation (RMSECV) = 0.036 g. This PLS-R model was able to predict the honeydew content in grams on raw cotton samples for each pixel. In conclusion, UV hyperspectral imaging, in combination with multivariate data analysis, shows high potential for quality control in textiles.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles3030018
Authors: Kun Luan Zoe Newman Andre West Kuan-Lin Lee Srujan Rokkam
Auxetic metamaterials expand transversely when stretched longitudinally or contract transversely when compressed, resulting in a negative Poisson’s ratio (NPR). Auxetic fabrics are 3D textile metamaterials possessing a unique geometry that can generate an auxetic response with respect to tension. In weft-knitted auxetic fabrics, the NPR property is achieved due to the inherent curling effect of the face and back stitches of the knit loops; they contract in an organized knitting pattern. The traditional method used to evaluate NPR is to measure the lateral fabric deformation during axial tensile testing on a mechanical testing machine, which is time-consuming and inaccurate in measuring uneven deformations. In this study, an efficient method was developed to evaluate the NPR of weft-knitted fabric that can also estimate deformation directionality. The elasticity and extension properties of the weft-knitted fabric can be analyzed immediately following removal from the knitting bed. Five fabrics, all with the same stitch densities (including four auxetic patterns and one single jersey pattern), were designed and produced to validate the proposed method. The use of our estimation method to evaluate the Poisson’s ratio of such fabrics showed higher values compared with the traditional method. In conclusion, the deformation directionality, elasticity, and extensionality were examined. It is anticipated that the proposed method could assist in the innovative development and deployment of auxetic knitted metamaterials.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles3020017
Authors: Heitor Luiz Ornaghi Otávio Bianchi
Textiles have been pivotal to economies and social relationships throughout history. In today’s world, there is an unprecedented demand for smart materials. The advent of smart textile fabrics, crafted from high-quality, high-performance fibers, has enabled the incorporation of specific functions into clothing and apparel brands. Notably, the rise of smart fabrics is evident in astronaut suits designed to regulate temperature and control muscle vibrations. Moreover, the scope of these products has expanded beyond everyday wear, encompassing fields such as medicine and healthcare, ecology/environmental protection, and military and aerospace. This review explores the recent advancements and challenges associated with intelligent fabrics, particularly temperature-dependent shape-memory metamaterials. The potential for innovative smart textile materials to enhance traditional fabrics’ overall functionality and utility is immense, especially in domains such as medical devices, fashion, entertainment, and defense. Crucially, ensuring user comfort is a primary consideration in these applications for promoting the widespread adoption of wearable devices. Developing smart textile devices necessitates a multidisciplinary approach that combines circuit design expertise, knowledge of smart materials, proficiency in microelectronics, and a deep understanding of chemistry and textile production. The synergy across these diverse fields is vital to unlocking the full potential of smart fabrics and enabling their broad implementation. By embracing this comprehensive approach, we can pave the way for groundbreaking advances in smart textile technology, driving innovation and progress in the field.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles3020016
Authors: Arjunsing Girase Adhiraj Shinde Robert Bryan Ormond
Firefighters are exposed to a complex mix of volatile and semi-volatile compounds from burning construction materials, consumer products, and other elements during fire suppression and rescue. These compounds can be absorbed onto the gear worn by firefighters and, depending on their volatility, can be released from the gear under different conditions. Few studies have focused on the off-gassing of toxic compounds from firefighters’ gear, particularly in terms of qualitative analysis methods. This study introduces a novel qualitative analysis method using headspace gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (HS-GC-MS) to assess off-gassing from field-contaminated jackets at regular intervals. Our findings show that certain compounds, such as acetic acid and di-ethyl-hexyl-phthalate (DEHP), remained present even after the gear were allowed to air out for 48 h. The persistent off-gassing of chemicals, even under ambient conditions, raises concerns about potential hazards that could pose risks for personnel in the vicinity of contaminated gear, including inside fire stations. The implications of these findings extend beyond fire stations and may have significant public health implications for firefighters who are repeatedly exposed to these compounds over time.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles3020015
Authors: Fulga Tanasa Carmen-Alice Teaca Marioara Nechifor Maurusa Ignat Ioana Alexandra Duceac Leonard Ignat
Textiles with antimicrobial functionality have been intensively and extensively investigated in the recent decades, mostly because they are present in everyday life in various applications: medicine and healthcare, sportswear, clothing and footwear, furniture and upholstery, air and water purification systems, food packaging etc. Their ability to kill or limit the growth of the microbial population in a certain context defines their activity against bacteria, fungi, and viruses, and even against the initial formation of the biofilm prior to microorganisms’ proliferation. Various classes of antimicrobials have been employed for these highly specialized textiles, namely, organic synthetic reagents and polymers, metals and metal oxides (micro- and nanoparticles), and natural and naturally derived compounds, and their activity and range of applications are critically assessed. At the same time, different modern processing techniques are reviewed in relation to their applications. This paper focuses on some advances and challenges in the field of antimicrobial textiles given their practical importance as it appears from the most recent reports in the literature.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles3020014
Authors: Arjunsing Girase Donald Thompson Robert Bryan Ormond
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1851 document provides guidelines for firefighters on the care and maintenance of their PPE, including decontamination practices. Firefighters are exposed to various toxic chemicals during fire suppression activities, making effective decontamination crucial for their safety. This study evaluated the efficacy of different washing parameters, including temperature, time, and surfactants, on cleaning outer-shell material contaminated with nine targeted compounds from three different functional groups: phenols, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and phthalates. The study was conducted on both bench-scale and full-scale levels, with contaminated swatches washed in a water shaker bath in the bench-scale evaluation and full-sized washer extractors used in the full-scale evaluation. The results showed that bench-scale washing demonstrated similar trends in contaminant removal to full-scale washing. Importantly, the study highlighted the complexity of removing fireground contaminants from the personal protective ensemble (PPE). The findings of this study have practical implications for the firefighting industry as they provide insight into the effectiveness of different washing parameters for PPE decontamination. Future studies could explore the impact of repeated washing on PPE and investigate the potential for developing more efficient decontamination strategies. Ultimately, the study underscores the importance of ongoing efforts to ensure the safety of firefighters, who face significant occupational hazards.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles3020013
Authors: Aravin Prince Periyasamy
Natural fibers are increasingly being used to make nonwoven fabrics, substituting synthetic materials for environmental and economic reasons. In this study, a series of needle-punched nonwoven fabrics were made by extracting fibers from coffee husks and blending them with a proportion of spinning waste consisting of cotton fibers and another five different natural fibers. This work investigates the coefficient of sound absorption, thermal conductivity, areal density, thickness, and air permeability. Overall, the sound absorption properties of the produced nonwoven fabric depend on the blend proportion and the number of layers. The results from the fabric containing nettle and banana fibers demonstrate a much-improved sound absorption coefficient. These results have been compared with those of commercially available nonwoven fabrics that are manufactured from polyester and polyurethane foam. The thermal conductivities of the fabrics made with nettle and coir were the highest and lowest, respectively. This is because of the fiber linear density, but all in all, fibers extracted from coffee husks show significantly promising potential for scaling up to replace existing synthetic fibers.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles3020012
Authors: Jully Schmidt Pinto Filippi Angelo Oliveira Silva Cintia Marangoni Jeferson Correia José Alexandre Borges Valle Rita de Cassia Siqueira Curto Valle
The objective of this work was to evaluate Turkey red oil as a renewable dispersant and leveling option for dyeing polyester knitted fabric with disperse dyes. The dyeing results were evaluated by measuring the color at several positions of the dyed samples to verify the levelness. In addition, the amount of residual dye was evaluated. Migration tests were also carried out to evaluate the leveling effectiveness of Turkey red oil. Wet rubbing and washing fastness analysis, hydrophilicity, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), surface analysis with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and modification of functional groups by FTIR were also carried out. The results obtained in the analyses show that Turkey red oil is efficient as a dispersant and leveling agent when compared to the well-known sodium naphthalene sulfonate. It is concluded that Turkey red oil reduces the time of the dyeing process and consequently its energy consumption, and reduces the amount of effluent generated while improving hydrophilicity and fastness, thus being a renewable and sustainable option for current products based on petroleum.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles3010011
Authors: Md Al-Amin Md Tanjim Hossain Muneeb Tahir Diana Wyman S M Fijul Kabir
Textile supply chain challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia–Ukraine war give unique insights into how health crises and geopolitical instability could dry up supplies of vital materials for the smooth functioning of human societies in calamitous times. Coinciding adverse global events or future pandemics could create shortages of traditional face coverings among other vital materials. Reusable face coverings could be a viable relief option in such situations. This review identifies the lack of studies in the existing literature on reusable fabric face coverings available in the market. It focuses on the development, filtration mechanisms, and factors associated with the filtration efficiency of reusable knitted and woven fabric face coverings. The authors identified relevant papers through the Summon database. Keeping the focus on readily available fabrics, this paper encompasses the key aspects of reusable face coverings made of knitted and woven fabrics outlining filtration mechanisms and requirements, development, factors affecting filtration performance, challenges, and outcomes of clinical trials. Filtration mechanisms for reusable face coverings include interception and impaction, diffusion, and electrostatic attraction. Face covering development includes the identification of appropriate constituent fibers, yarn characteristics, and base fabric construction. Factors significantly affecting the filtration performance were electrostatic charge, particle size, porosity, layers, and finishes. Reusable face coverings offer several challenges including moisture management, breathing resistance factors, and balancing filtration with breathability. Efficacy of reusable face coverings in comparison to specialized non reusable masks in clinical trials has also been reviewed and discussed. Finally, the authors identified the use of certain finishes on fabrics as a major challenge to making reusable face coverings more effective and accessible to the public. This paper is expected to provide communities and research stakeholders with access to critical knowledge on the reusability of face coverings and their management during periods of global crisis.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles3010010
Authors: Yu Wang Xuejiao Li Junbo Xie Ning Wu Yanan Jiao Peng Wang
The performance of fiber-reinforced composite materials is significantly influenced by the mechanical properties of the yarns. Predictive simulations of the mechanical response of yarns are, thus, necessary for fiber-reinforced composite materials. This paper developed a novel experiment equipment and approach to characterize the bending behavior of yarns, which was also analyzed by characterization parameters, bending load, bending stiffness, and realistic contact area. Inspired by the digital element approach, an improved modeling methodology with the probability distribution was employed to establish the geometry model of yarns and simulated bending behavior of yarns by defining the crimp strain of fibers in the yarn and the effective elastic modulus of yarns as random variables. The accuracy of the developed model was confirmed by the experimental approach. More bending behavior of yarns, including the twisted and plied yarns, was predicted by numerical simulation. Additionally, models revealed that twist level and number of plies affect yarn bending properties, which need to be adopted as sufficient conditions for the mechanical analysis of fiber-reinforced composite materials. This efficient experiment and modeling method is meaningful to be developed in further virtual weaving research.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles3010009
Authors: Raphael Romao Santos Masumi Nakanishi Sachiko Sukigara
Haptic sensing by sliding fingers over a fabric is a common behavior in consumers when wearing garments. Prior studies have found important characteristics that shape the evaluation criteria and influence the preference of consumers regarding fabrics. This study analyzed the tactile perception of selected woven fabrics, with an emphasis on the participants’ individual differences. Individual differences generally are discarded in sensory experiments by averaging them. Small differences among consumers can be important for understanding the factors driving consumer preferences. For this study, 28 participants assessed fabrics with very distinct surface, compression, and heat transferring properties by sliding their index fingers along the surface of the fabric. The participants also engaged in a descriptive sensory analysis. The physical properties of the fabric were measured using the Kawabata Evaluation System for Fabrics (KES-F) system. Moreover, parameters at the finger–fabric interface, such as the contact force, finger speed, and skin vibration, were measured during the assessment. This study used analysis of variance to eliminate nonsignificant attributes. Consonance analysis was performed using principal component analysis (PCA) on the unfolded sensory and interface data matrices. Finally, the physical and interface data were regressed onto sensory data. The results showed that the contact force and finger speed were nonsignificant, while skin vibration was a possible replacement for surface physical properties measured by the Kawabata Evaluation System for Fabrics (KES-F) system with an equal or slightly improved explainability.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles3010008
Authors: Túlio Caetano Guimarães Otavio da Fonseca Martins Gomes Olga Maria Oliveira de Araújo Ricardo Tadeu Lopes M´hamed Yassin Rajiv da-Gloria Romildo Dias Toledo Filho Eddie Koenders Antonio Caggiano Christoph Mankel Mona Nazari Sam Rodolfo Giacomim Mendes de Andrade Saulo Rocha Ferreira
The growing global energy demand requires solutions that improve energy efficiency in all sectors. The civil construction sector is responsible for a large part of global energy consumption. In this context, phase change materials (PCMs) can be incorporated into construction materials to improve the energy efficiency of buildings. The purpose of this study was to incorporate a PCM to jute fabric, applying it in civil construction as a reinforcement for cement matrices. In order to do that, a method of immersing jute fabric in liquid phase change material, and then coating it with a polymer, was proposed. Treated jute fabric was then used to produce a laminated composite with a cementitious matrix. Morphological, mechanical and chemical characterization of jute textiles was performed, as well as an analysis of the composites’ mechanical and thermal behavior. The results verified that jute textiles absorbed 102% PCM in weight, which was successfully contained in the capillary porosity of jute. The PCM was able to delay the composite’s temperature increase by up to 24 °C. It was concluded that this method can be used to incorporate PCM to natural textiles, producing composites with thermal energy storage properties.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles3010007
Authors: Meenakshi Ahirwar B. K. Behera
Stretch fabric provides good formability and does not restrict the movement of the body for increased tension levels. The major expectations of a wearer in an apparel fabric are a high level of mechanical comfort and good aesthetics. The prediction of shrinkage in stretch fabric is a very complex and unexplored topic. There are no existing formulas that can effectively predict the shrinkage of stretch fabrics. The purpose of this paper is to develop a novel model based on an artificial neural network to predict the shrinkage of stretch fabrics. Different stretch fabrics (core-spun lycra yarn) with stretch in the weft direction were manufactured in the industry using a miniature weaving machine. A model was built using an artificial neural network method, including training of the data set, followed by testing of the model on the test data set. The correlation of factors, such as warp count, weft count, greige PPI, greige EPI, and greige width, was established with respect to boil-off width.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles3010006
Authors: Christian Dils Sebastian Hohner Martin Schneider-Ramelow
For textile-based electronic systems with multiple contacts distributed over a large area, it is very complex to create reliable electrical and mechanical interconnections. In this work, we report for the first time on the use of rotating ultrasonic polymer welding for the continuous integration and interconnection of highly conductive ribbons with textile-integrated conductive tracks. For this purpose, the conductive ribbons are prelaminated on the bottom side with a thermoplastic film, which serves as an adhesion agent to the textile carrier, and another thermoplastic film is laminated on the top side, which serves as an electrical insulation layer. Experimental tests are used to investigate the optimum welding process parameters for each material combination. The interconnects are initially electrically measured and then tested by thermal cycling, moisture aging, buckling and washing tests, followed by electrical and optical analyses. The interconnects obtained are very low ohmic across the materials tested, with resulting contact resistances between 1 and 5 mOhm. Material-dependent results were observed in the reliability tests, with climatic and mechanical tests performing better than the wash tests for all materials. In addition, the development of a heated functional prototype demonstrates a first industrial application.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles3010005
Authors: Yago N. Teixeira Jorge M. C. Menezes Raimundo N. P. Teixeira Francisco J. Paula Filho Thiago M. B. F. Oliveira
This study aimed to evaluate the methyl red (MR) removal efficiency from aqueous matrices using an eco-friendly anionic surfactant (a calcium surfactant, or CaSF), obtained from frying oil residue. Data obtained by infrared spectroscopy revealed several functional groups that favor the capture of the dye by chemisorption by forming hydrogen bonds and covalent interactions. The kinetic testing results fit the pseudo-second order model, reaching equilibrium in 30 min. Adsorption was greatly influenced by temperature. The Langmuir isotherm was the one best fitting the process at 20 °C, while the Dubinin–Radushkevich isotherm fitted it better at higher temperatures. Under optimized conditions, the maximal MR adsorption capacity of CaSF reached 53.59 mg·g−1 (a removal rate of 95.15%), proving that the adsorbent at hand can be an excellent alternative for the removal of undesirable levels of MR present in aqueous matrices.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles3010004
Authors: Textiles Editorial Office Textiles Editorial Office
High-quality academic publishing is built on rigorous peer review [...]
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles3010003
Authors: Sara A. Ebrahim Hanan A. Othman Mohamed M. Mosaad Ahmed G. Hassabo
Fruit peels are a rich source of many substances, such as pectin. Extraction of natural thickening agent (pectin) from fruit waste such as (orange and pomegranate peels) is an environmentally friendly alternative to commercial thickeners and is cheap for use in the printing of natural and synthetic fabrics, especially polyester and polyacrylic fabrics. Hexamine was used to treat the extracted pectin to make it appropriate for use in an alkali medium for printing cotton fabric. The results showed that the extracted and modified pectin have good rheological properties as well as bacterial resistance. Pectin is suitable for use in an acidic medium. All the printed samples with pectin and its modified synthetic dyes (reactive, acid, and disperse) exhibited good fastness towards washing and wet and dry rubbing. The light fastness of printed textiles was excellent (7), which is more than using alginate as a thickener (5). In both acidic and alkaline perspiration, the perspiration fastness characteristic revealed 3–4 to 4–5 color differences. Colorfastness to rubbing was tested in both dry and wet conditions, and it was revealed that dry rubbing had the same effect as wet rubbing. Printed textiles using pectin or modified pectin as thickeners exhibit antibacterial activity. Physical and mechanical properties of all printed fabrics such as (tensile strength, elongation, and surface roughness) were enhanced.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles3010002
Authors: Ryoga Miyauchi Xiaoxiao Zhou Yuki Inoue
This study analyzed what design elements are attractive to consumers of denim fabric products. A questionnaire survey was used to investigate the brands and design elements that consumers prefer. Subsequently, the degree to which participating consumers liked the five design elements (traditional, transformative, pattern, multi-material, and decorative designs), fast fashion brands, and luxury brands were used as explanatory variables to determine the consumers’ willingness to pay. A multiple regression analysis was performed on these variables. The results indicated that consumers who preferred traditional and transformative designs showed a positive effect on their willingness to pay for denim fabric products. Therefore, these elements could be attractive design elements that may command a high price point in new product planning proposals. Moreover, depending on the type of brand preferred by consumers, the impact of design elements on their purchase intention of denim fabric products has different consequences. This study analyzes the design elements preferred by consumers and contributes to the creation of design proposals by designers and apparel firms.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles3010001
Authors: Huy N. Q. Phan Jyh Hoang Leu Khanh Thien Tran Vi N. D. Nguyen Trung Tan Nguyen
Instead of contributing to global warming by the traditional method—burning crop wastes—in this study, discarded pineapple leaves were rapidly turned into multifunctional fibers: pineapple leaf fibers (PALF). In addition, the presence of pure hydrogen during treatment can be a competitive advantage. PALF were extracted by a conventional technique, then immersed into sodium hydroxide 6% before it was treated with an electrolysis system of sodium chloride 3%. The crystallinity index increased 57.4% of treated PALF, and was collected from XRD. Meanwhile, the removal of hemicellulose and lignin in the fiber formation was presented at the absorbance peak of around 1730 cm−1 by FTIR spectrums. Simultaneously, the purity of hydrogen reached 99% and was confirmed by GC analysis. The obtained PALF and hydrogen can be used for further consideration, aiming for a circular economy.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles2040038
Authors: Martin Scheurer Matthias Kalthoff Thomas Matschei Michael Raupach Thomas Gries
In carbon-reinforced concrete, the commonly used steel reinforcement is replaced with carbon fiber reinforcement textiles, enabling thin-walled elements by using new construction principles. The high drapability of textiles offers design opportunities for new concrete structures. However, commonly utilized textiles are impregnated with comparatively stiff polymeric materials to ensure load transmission into the textile, limiting drapability. In this paper, a new approach is analyzed: the use of pre-impregnated textiles cured within the concrete matrix. This enables the production of filigree, highly curved components with high mechanical performance, as needed for novel additive manufacturing methods. In the presented trials, rovings were successfully impregnated with potential impregnation materials, cured within the concrete, and compared to rovings cured outside of the concrete. The analysis of the curing process using a rolling ball test determines that all materials have to be placed in concrete 4 to 24 h after impregnation. The results of uniaxial tensile tests on reinforced concrete show that maximum load is increased by up to 87% for rovings cured within concrete (compared to non-impregnated rovings). This load increase was higher for rovings cured outside of concrete (up to 185%), indicating that the concrete environment interferes with the curing process, requiring further analysis and adaptation.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles2040037
Authors: Waleed Hassan Akhtar Chihiro Watanabe Yuji Tou Pekka Neittaanmäki
The textile and apparel (fashion) industry has been influenced by developments in societal socio-cultural and economic structures. Due to a change in people’s preferences from economic functionality to supra-functionality beyond economic value, the fashion industry is at the forefront of digitalization. The growing digitalization in the fashion industry corresponds to digital fashion, which can satisfy the rapid shift in consumers’ preferences. This paper explores the evolving con-cept of innovations in digital fashion in the textile and apparel industry. Specifically, it centers on the evaluation of Amazon’s digital fashion initiatives, which have made the platform the United States’ top fashion retailer. An analysis of the business model of Amazon’s digital fashion business showed that with the advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) powered by advanced Amazon Web Services (AWS), Amazon has introduced novel digital solutions for the fashion industry, such as advanced digital fashions (ADFs), on-demand manufacturing, neo-luxury, and, ultimately, cloud-based digital fashion platforms, that is, a supra-omnichannel, where all stakeholders are integrated, and their activities are visible in real time. This can be attributed to the learning orchestration externality strategy. This study concludes that with the advancement of digital innovations, Amazon has fused a self-propagating function that advances digital solutions. This study shows that Amazon is the largest R&D company. Its R&D process is based on users’ knowledge gained by their participation through AWS-driven ICT tools. This promotes a culture of experimentation in the development of user-driven innovations. Such innovations have further advanced the functionality of AWS in data analysis and business solutions. This dynamism promotes the development of soft innovation resources and revenue streams. These endeavors are demonstrated in a model, and their reliability is validated through an empirical analysis focused on the emergence of ADF solutions. Therefore, based on an analysis of the development trajectories of Amazon’s digital fashion technologies, such as ADFs, on-demand manufacturing, and neo-luxury, insightful suggestions and a framework for solutions beyond e-commerce are provided.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles2040036
Authors: Arjunsing Girase Donald Thompson Robert Bryan Ormond
Firefighters are exposed to several potentially carcinogenic fireground contaminants. The current NFPA 1851 washing procedures are less effective in cleaning due to the limited intensity of the washing conditions that are used. The 2020 edition of NFPA 1851 has added limited specialized cleaning for higher efficacy. The liquid carbon dioxide (CO2) laundering technique has gained popularity in recent years due to its availability to remove contaminants and its eco-friendliness. The primary aim of this study is to address the firefighter questions regarding the efficacy of cleaning with liquid CO2 and to compare it with the conventional washing technique. The unused turnout jackets were contaminated with a mixture of fireground contaminants. These turnout jackets were cleaned with conventional NFPA 1851-appoved aqueous washing and a commercially available liquid CO2 method. Post-cleaning samples were analyzed for contamination using pressurized solvent extraction and GC-MS. The liquid CO2 technique demonstrated considerable improvement in washing efficiency compared to the conventional washing.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles2040035
Authors: Arif Ali Shah Muhmmad Shahid Naveed Ahmad Siddiqui Yasir Nawab Mazhar Iqbal
Textiles-fibres, yarns and fabrics are omnipresent in our daily lives, with unique mechanical properties that fit the design specifications for the tasks for which they are designed. The development of yarns and fabrics with negative Poisson’s ratio (NPR) is an area of current research interest due to their potential for use in high performance textiles (e.g., military, sports, etc.). The unique braiding technology of interlacement for preparation of braided helically wrapped yarns with NPR effect with later development of auxetic woven fabric made it possible to avoid the slippage of the wrapped component from the core. The applied geometrical configuration and NPR behaviour of the braided helical yarn structure with seven different angles comprising of monofilament elastomeric polyurethane (PU) core with two wrap materials that include multifilament ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) fibres were investigated and analysed. The mechanically stable 2D woven textile auxetic fabrics (AF) with various weave patterns such as 2/2 matt and 3/1 twill were developed from the auxetic yarn with PU elastomer core having maximum NPR effect of −1.70 using lower wrapped angle of 9° to study and compare their mechanical responses. The auxetic yarn was used in weft direction and multifilament UHMWPE yarn in warp direction, using semi-automatic loom. Auxeticity of AF was analysed and its various mechanical properties such tensile strength, impact energy absorption, in-plane, and out-of-plane auxeticity, and puncture resistance were studied. Higher energy absorption of 84 Nm for matt fabric was seen compared to twill fabric having an energy of 65 Nm. The puncture resistance capability of matt fabric was better than twill fabric. While twill fabric exhibited better auxetic effect in both in-plane and out-of-plane mode compared to matt fabric. In short, both the twill and matt design AF’s showed unique characteristics which are beneficial in making various protective textiles such as protective helmets, bullet proof shields, cut resistance gloves, blast resistant curtains, and puncture tolerant elastomeric composites.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles2040034
Authors: Heitor Luiz Ornaghi Júnior Roberta Motta Neves Francisco Maciel Monticeli Lucas Dall Agnol
Textiles have been used in our daily life since antiquity in both economies and social relationships. Nowadays, there has never been a greater desire for intelligent materials. Smart fabric textiles with high-quality and high-performance fiber manufacturing with specific functions represented by clothing and apparel brands (such as astronaut suits that can regulate temperature and control muscle vibrations) are becoming increasingly prominent. Product applications also extend from the field of life clothing to the medical/health, ecology/environmental protection, and military/aerospace fields. In this context, this review proposes to demonstrate the recent advances and challenges regarding smart fabric textiles. The possibilities of innovative smart textiles extending the overall usefulness and functionalities of standard fabrics are immense in the fields of medical devices, fashion, entertainment, and defense, considering sufficient comfort as a parameter necessary for users to accept wearable devices. Smart textile devices require a multidisciplinary approach regarding the circuit design of the development of intelligent textiles, as the knowledge of intelligent materials, microelectronics, and chemistry are integrated with a deep understanding of textile production for optimum results.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles2040033
Authors: Laurent Dufossé
The Textiles journal is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal, officially launched in 2020 [...]
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles2040032
Authors: Josephine Taiye Bolaji Patricia I. Dolez
Individuals with atypical breast shape/size often find it quite challenging to obtain a comfortable, supportive, and fitted bra off-the-shelf. They include people with very large breasts, who have significant breast asymmetry, and/or have undergone mastectomy or mammoplasty. This paper provides insights in their challenges and attempts to fill the gap in terms of critical review of the current state of knowledge around the topic of bras. Poor and ill fitted bras are associated with breast, chest and shoulder pain, embarrassment, and an overall reduction in quality of life among others. Building upon the advantages and limitations of solutions to improve the fit, support and comfort of bras found in the literature, this paper proposes strategies to solve these challenges. As the problem is multidisciplinary, a human-centered interdisciplinary approach is key to ensure that all aspects are considered at all stages of the process. A modular design allows selecting the fabric characteristics based on the requirements of each bra part. In terms of materials, stretch woven fabrics offer a large potential in the production of bras to enhance the support provided by areas such as the under band and back panels. Bespoke manufacturing takes into account the specificities of each individual. The road map proposed here will contribute to enhance the quality of life of individuals with atypical breast shape/size.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles2040031
Authors: Harald Pötzschke Kai Zirk
To enable stating a final common sensor design of purely textile, measuring wound pads for the monitoring of surgically provided wounds with regard to tissue temperature, moisture release and stretching (as indicators for the most prominent wound healing disruptions bacterial inflammation, bleeding/seroma discharge, and haematoma/seroma formation), the aim of this investigation was to identify and quantify possible variables practically affecting the detection of water in a systematic study. The textile sensors comprise insulated electrical wires stitched onto a textile backing and parallel wires form a plane sensor structure whose electrical capacitance is increased by water (contained in blood or lymph) in the textiles. Only parallel sensor wires forming double meanders were examined because this structure enables all the parameters of interest to be measured. Surprisingly the results are complex, neither simple nor consistent. The change in electrical capacitance (measuring signal) upon the standardized addition of water was not additive, i.e., it was not found to be correlated to the moistened area of the sensor array, but inversely correlated to the diameter of the sensor wire, mildly pronounced in connection with smaller stitching spacing (stitching loops along the sensor wires). The measuring signal reached a maximum with medium sensor wire spacings and pronounced with a smaller stitching spacing. Without exception, the measuring signal was systematically higher in connection with smaller (compared with larger) stitching spacings. The results presented indicate that the optimization of the capacitive textile sensors cannot be calculated but must instead be carried out empirically.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles2040030
Authors: Sigrid Rotzler Jan Malzahn Lukas Werft Malte von Krshiwoblozki Elisabeth Eppinger
Many electronic textile (e-textile) applications require a stretchable basis, best achieved through knitted textiles. Ideally, conductive structures can be directly integrated during the knitting process. This study evaluates the influence of several knitting and material parameters on the resistance of knitted conductive tracks after the knitting process and after durability testing. The knitting speed proves to be of little influence, while the type of conductive thread used, as well as the knitting pattern both impact the resistance of the knitted threads and their subsequent reliability considerably. The presented research provides novel insights into the knitting process for conductive yarns and possible applications and shows that choosing suitable material and processing methods can improve the quality and robustness of knitted e-textiles.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles2040029
Authors: Abdullah Al Mamun Koushik Kumar Bormon Mst Nigar Sultana Rasu Amit Talukder Charles Freeman Reuben Burch Harish Chander
Bangladesh’s ready-made garment sectors have evolved to increase market share in the global textile supply chain. Textile sectors heavily rely on energy and groundwater consumption during production; mainly, textile dyeing mills contribute to the carbon footprint and water footprint impact to the environment. Textile dyeing mills have become one of the major industries responsible for the continuous depletion of groundwater levels and severe water pollution to the environment. Reduction of long-term key performance indicators (KPI) can be set to a baseline by reducing energy and groundwater consumption in textile dyeing mills. This study has analyzed the energy and groundwater consumption trend based on 15 textile dyeing mills in Bangladesh in 2019. The average dyed fabric production of 15 textile dyeing mills in 2019 was 7602.88 tons by consuming electricity and groundwater, and discharging treated effluent wastewater to the environment, in the amounts of 17,689.43 MWh, 961.26 million liters, and 640.24 million liters, respectively. The average KPI of treated effluent discharged wastewater was 97.27 L/kg, and energy consumption was 2.58 kWh/kg. Considering yearly 5% reduction strategies of groundwater and energy consumption for each factory could save around 355.43 million liters of water and 6540.68 MWh of electricity in 10 years (equivalent to 4167.08-ton CO2 emission).
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles2030028
Authors: Costas Tsioptsias Georgia Gkouzouma Konstantinos Leontiadis Ioannis Tsivintzelis
Polypropylene (PP), like all polymers, is susceptible to various forms of aging. Drawn fibers exhibit increased mechanical properties; however, the drawing results in non-equilibrium (decreased entropy) structures, due to the orientation of the polymer chains. Consequently, the drawn fibers are susceptible to an additional form of physical aging. In this work, the effect of common industrial additives on the mechanical strength of virgin and thermally aged PP fibers was studied. Thermogravimetry and tensile strength tests were used to characterize the drawn fibers, before and after physical thermal aging. PP drawn at 120 °C and at a drawing ratio of 7 exhibited a tensile strength of 549 MPa, while the incorporation of an antioxidant and a compatibilizer lowered the tensile strength down to 449 MPA. This reduction was related to the constraint of chain alignment due to the low molecular weight and poor dispersion of the additives. Depending on the aging temperature, shrinking occurred to different extents in pure PP fibers, accompanied by a 6–7% reduction in tensile strength. The fibers with incorporated additives exhibited higher rate and degree of shrinking. Briefly, the incorporation of such additives in drawn PP resulted in the deterioration of the fibers’ mechanical tensile properties. Since such additives have an indisputable value for non-drawn samples and their usage is necessary for various reasons also in drawn samples, e.g., for their protection from chemical aging/decomposition, additives specific for drawn samples should be developed.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles2030027
Authors: Yuri Pereira Chuves Midori Pitanga Inga Grether Maria Odila Cioffi Francisco Monticeli
The growth of the aeronautical sector leads to the growth of polymer composites application, creating new demand for components applications in complex dimensions and shapes. Regarding different methods of draping 2D fabric into a 3D format, the concern is to keep the fabric properties and characteristics, since fiber orientation is modified after draping. For that purpose, this study aims to evaluate the drapability capacity of 2D dry fibrous fabrics (plain, twill, satin, non-crimp-fabric 0/90, and ±45) into a complex geometry, i.e., spherical indent. The energy required to drape fabric is composed of fabric deformation mechanisms (shear and bending), which were used together with microscopic deformation analysis to determine the appropriate fabric architectures with the highest malleability. Both NCF fabrics presented high energy and roughness on the fabric surface due to the folding effect of stitching. On the other hand, plain and twill weave fabrics required lower energy to drape but demonstrated higher fiber misalignment and deformation. The satin warp/weft relation favored shear and bending mechanisms, presenting better uniformity in load distribution, symmetry on drape capability, lower deformation degree, and lower fiber misalignment. Despite the intermediate load and energy required for drape, ANOVA and optimization methods confirmed that satin fabric showed better malleability behavior for complex geometries applications.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles2030026
Authors: Michael Arkas Georgia Kythreoti Evangelos Favvas Konstantinos Giannakopoulos Nafsika Mouti Marina Arvanitopoulou Ariadne Athanasiou Marilina Douloudi Eleni Nikoli Michail Vardavoulias Marios Dimitriou Ioannis Karakasiliotis Victoria Ballén Sara González
Hybrid organic-inorganic (dendritic polymer-silica) xerogels containing silver nanoparticles (Ag Nps) were developed as antibacterial leather coatings. The preparation method is environmentally friendly and is based on two biomimetic reactions. Silica gelation and spontaneous Ag Nps formation were both mediated by hyperbranched poly (ethylene imine) (PEI) scaffolds of variable Mw (2000–750,000). The formation of precursor hydrogels was monitored by dynamic light scattering (DLS). The chemical composition of the xerogels was assessed by infrared spectroscopy (IR) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), while the uniformity of the coatings was established by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The release properties of coated leather samples and their overall behavior in water in comparison to untreated analogs were investigated by Ultraviolet-Visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy. Antibacterial activity was tested against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus, and antibiofilm properties against Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Enterococcus faecalis, while the SARS-CoV-2 clinical isolate was employed for the first estimation of their antiviral potential. Toxicity was evaluated using the Jurkat E6.1 cell line. Finally, water-contact angle measurements were implemented to determine the enhancement of the leather surface hydrophilicity caused by these composite layers. The final advanced products are intended for use in medical applications.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles2030025
Authors: Madeeha Tabassum Qasim Zia Yongfeng Zhou Yufei Wang Michael J. Reece Lei Su
Metal halide perovskites (MHPs) are thought to be among the most promising materials for smart electronic textiles because of their unique optical and electrical characteristics. Recently, wearable perovskite devices have been developed that combine the excellent properties of perovskite with those of textiles, such as flexibility, light weight, and facile processability. In this review, advancements in wearable perovskite devices (e.g., solar cells, photodetectors, and light-emitting diodes) concerning their device architectures, working mechanisms, and fabrication techniques have been discussed. This study also highlights the technical benefits of integrating MHPs into wearable devices. Moreover, the application challenges faced by wearable perovskite optoelectronic devices—from single devices to roll-to-roll manufacturing, stability and storage, and biosafety—are briefly discussed. Finally, future perspectives on using perovskites for other wearable optoelectronic devices are stated.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles2030024
Authors: Katia Gasparini
Over recent years, many architectural and urban surfaces interact with the environment like a changing skin, adaptable to environmental stimuli. The textile technology appears to be the most suitable to meet the requirement of adaptability to the environment because it can produce changes in shape and colour. Today, this is a possible thanks to textile systems and fibres that are increasingly hi-tech and smart. To make these adaptable systems is a fundamental role in digital technologies and is an important a multidisciplinary approach in every design phase. This article interweaves some of the developments and applications of textiles in urban space design, exploring the possible applications of emerging technology in architectural and urban design. This analysis aims to explore the intersection between the culture, design and technology of textile systems, as well as the role of parametric design and embedded systems in urban space design and transformation. The aim of this article is to spread knowledge on adaptable textile systems as materials for architecture and to do so through practice-based design research. The study frames the contemporary design explorations, in which digital design tools and material expression are major placeholders, with a focus on surface shapes and design experiments exploring the expressiveness of light, colour and movement as design materials. The article reflects on the role of digital design applied to textile systems for urban space as a possible tool aiming at enhancing existing space by surface prototyping.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles2030023
Authors: Tamal Krishna Paul Tazin Ibna Jalil Md. Shohan Parvez Md. Reazuddin Repon Ismail Hossain Md. Abdul Alim Tarikul Islam Mohammad Abdul Jalil
Jute is a bio-degradable, agro-renewable, and widely available lingo cellulosic fiber having high tensile strength and initial modulus, moisture regain, good sound, and heat insulation properties. For these unique properties and eco-friendly nature of jute fibers, jute-based products are now widely used in many sectors such as packaging, home textiles, agro textiles, build textiles, and so forth. The diversified applications of jute products create an excellent opportunity to mitigate the negative environmental effect of petroleum-based products. For producing the best quality jute products, the main prerequisite is to ensure the jute yarn quality that can be defined by the load at break (L.B), strain at break (S.B), tenacity at break (T.B), and tensile modulus (T.M). However, good quality yarn production by considering these parameters is quite difficult because these parameters follow a non-linear relationship. Therefore, it is essential to build up a model that can cover this entire inconsistent pattern and forecast the yarn quality accurately. That is why, in this study, a laboratory-based research work was performed to develop a fuzzy model to predict the quality of jute yarn considering L.B, S.B, T.B, and T.M as input parameters. For this purpose, 173 tex (5 lb/spindle) and 241 tex (7 lb/spindle) were produced, and then L.B, S.B, T.B and T.M values were measured. Using this measured value, a fuzzy model was developed to determine the optimum L.B, S.B, T.B, and T.M to produce the best quality jute yarn. In our proposed fuzzy model, for 173 tex and 241 tex yarn count, the mean relative error was found to be 1.46% (Triangular membership) and 1.48% (Gaussian membership), respectively, and the correlation coefficient was 0.93 for both triangular and gaussian membership function. This result validated the effectiveness of the proposed fuzzy model for an industrial application. The developed fuzzy model may help a spinner to produce the best quality jute yarn.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles2030022
Authors: Alana J. Leabeater Lachlan P. James Matthew W. Driller
Background: Compression garments (CGs) are a popular tool that may act on physiological, physical, neuromuscular, biomechanical, and/or perceptual domains during exercise and recovery from exercise, with varying levels of efficacy. While previous reviews have focused on the effects of CGs during running, high-intensity exercise, and exercise recovery, a comprehensive systematic review that assesses the effectiveness of garment use both during and after exercise has not been recently conducted. Methods: A systematic search of the literature from the earliest record until May 2022 was performed based on the PRISMA-P guidelines for systematic reviews, using the online databases PubMed, SPORTDiscus, and Google Scholar. Results: 160 articles with 2530 total participants were included for analysis in the systematic review, comprised of 103 ‘during exercise’ studies, 42 ‘during recovery’ studies, and 15 combined design studies. Conclusions: During exercise, CGs have a limited effect on global measures of endurance performance but may improve some sport-specific variables (e.g., countermovement jump height). Most muscle proteins/metabolites are unchanged with the use of CGs during exercise, though measures of blood lactate tend to be lowered. CGs for recovery appear to have a positive benefit on subsequent bouts of endurance (e.g., cycling time trials) and resistance exercise (e.g., isokinetic dynamometry). CGs are associated with reductions in lactate dehydrogenase during recovery and are consistently associated with decreases in perceived muscle soreness following fatiguing exercise. This review may provide a useful point of reference for practitioners and researchers interested in the effect of CGs on particular outcome variables or exercise types.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles2030021
Authors: Roberto Giannuzzi Vitantonio Primiceri Riccardo Scarfiello Marco Pugliese Fabrizio Mariano Antonio Maggiore Carmela Tania Prontera Sonia Carallo Cristian De Vito Luigi Carbone Vincenzo Maiorano
With the main objective being to develop photochromic smart textiles, in this paper, we studied the photochromic behavior of WO3-x nanocrystals (NCs) cooperatively interacting with variable amounts of TiO2 NCs. We tested several blends of WO3-x:TiO2 NCs, admixed in different compositions (relative molar ratio of 4:0, 3:1, 2:2, 1:3, 0:4) and electrostatically interfacing because of opposite values of Z-potential, for photo-induced chromogenic textiles. We further monitored the photochromic sensitivity of NC-impregnated textiles after exposure to a few solvents (i.e., methanol, ethanol, and isopropanol) or when over-coated with different polymeric matrices such as natural cellulose or ionic conductive Nafion. The optimization of the compositions of the WO3-x:TiO2 blends embedded in polymeric matrices, allowed the nanostructured photochromic textiles to show rapid and tunable coloration (<5 min) and bleaching kinetics (~5 in at 75 °C or 6 h at room temperature) along with good recovery and cycling stability. This study features a simple strategy for the widespread application of WO3-x:TiO2-based photochromic smart textiles.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles2020020
Authors: Patricia I. Dolez Sabrina Marsha Rachel H. McQueen
This article reviews recent developments in fibers and textiles for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) applications. Fibers are grouped into six categories: highly extensible elastomeric fibers, cellulose-based fibers, commodity synthetic fibers, high strength inorganic materials, and high performance polymer fibers. New developments with highly extensible elastomeric fibers include polyester-based elastic fibers and shape memory polyurethane. In the case of cellulose-based fibers, environmentally friendly processes and nanotechnology-enabling treatments are developed for natural fibers where attempts are made to transfer interesting attributes of the feedstock to regenerated cellulose fibers. Commodity synthetic fibers comprise polyolefins, polyester, and polyamide; they have seen recent developments in terms of surface functionalization and the formation of structures at the nanoscale. In terms of high strength inorganic materials, basalt fibers and carbonaceous materials have found increased use in PPE. Boron is also generating considerable interest for fibers and coatings. Research on high-performance polymer fibers includes further improving their short- and long-term performance, moving to the nanoscale for new functionalities, and exploring their recyclability. An additional section describes a series of special textile structures relevant to PPE involving 3D textile structures, auxetic textile structures, shear thickening fabrics, nanoporous structures, phase change materials, and some specially designed textile-based composite structures for improved protection against mechanical hazards. The article ends with some perspectives on promising avenues for further developments.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles2020019
Authors: Tobias Georg Lang Dominik Nuß Thomas Gereke Gerald Hoffmann Michael Wöltje Dilbar Aibibu Chokri Cherif
Tendons and ligaments are complex tissues that are necessary for human movement. Injuries occur very commonly and treatment quite often requires implants. Such implants must be adapted to the biological and structural composition of human tendons and ligaments. Thus, the objective is to realize graded, biomimetic tendon and ligament implants that are long-term resorbable. First, basic woven fabrics are fabricated from biocompatible silk fibroin yarns. Starting from the basic fabrics, gradient fabrics, with three different weave zones, are then developed and produced. In addition, fabrics with variable width and lateral warp yarn offset are fabricated on the basis of open reed weaving (ORW) technology on a modified shuttle narrow weaving loom. Meso-scale finite element models are developed in order to support the design of the gradient weaves. First, TexGen software is used to create a close to reality fabric geometry. Models are then converted into beam element models using a Python script. Results of real and virtual tensile tests show a clear relationship between the crimp of the warp yarns in the fabric structures and the resulting elongations. The additional ORW yarn system influences the stiffness. The tensile behavior of experiments and simulation agree very well, so the models are suitable for further development of woven implants.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles2020018
Authors: Xinyu Song Pengyan Liu Liangmin Yu Andrea Zille
Shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) is often projected in response to public health emergencies such as infection outbreaks and pandemics. Respiratory protective devices (RPDs), namely medical face masks and respirators, are considered the last defense for the front-line healthcare workers. Cleaning, decontamination and reuse of the disposable RPDs have been accepted by local health authorities during the pandemic period. To contribute to the mitigation of RPD shortage and ensure the safe adoption of decontamination protocols, this review discusses the regulated testing standards and the most commonly studied decontamination methods in the literature. The reuse of RPDs must fulfill three criteria: remove the microbial thread, maintain original function and structural integrity (including fitting tests) and leave no harmful residuals. Decontamination methods such as ultraviolet germicidal irradiation, moist heat and vaporized hydrogen peroxide appeared to be the most promising methods in balancing the above-mentioned criteria. However, the effectiveness of decontamination methods varies depending on the RPDs’ models, materials and design. Therefore, the adoption of protocols needs to be evidence-based with full validation in the local institutes. Additionally, new technology such as antimicrobial treated PPE that can reduce the risks of fomite during donning and doffing process with an extended lifespan should be encouraged. Overall, good training and guidance for appropriate reuse of RPDs are fundamental to ensure their efficiency in protecting front-line healthcare workers.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles2020017
Authors: Amit Talukder Hunter Derby Charles Freeman Reuben Burch Adam Knight Harish Chander
This study aims to quantify wearers’ perceived sensory/tactile comfort responses to clinical and sub-clinical compression socks before, during, and after several activities (postural stability tasks, donning, and doffing). Through purposive sampling, the researchers recruited 20 participants (11 male and 9 female) aged 21.5 ± 2 years. Among all participants, 40% had chronic ankle instability, 30% were copers, and 30% were healthy control groups. Sensory/tactile and movement comfort were assessed using a comfort 8-item questionnaire in a wear trial. The findings exhibit that the tested clinical socks are more comfortable than subclinical socks regardless of the participant types. The strongest positive correlation was between material appearance and hand feel (r = 0.84, ** p < 0.01) and between ‘no red marks’ and non-itchiness (r = 0.72, ** p < 0.01). Additionally, no statistically significant differences in comparisons of comfort assessment measures were reported. However, due to the consistency of the trends in differences, the researchers suggest that these findings warrant additional research using a more robust sampling technique. According to the findings of this study, a higher-pressure level compression sock may be preferable for patients with ankle stability issues, as there is no significant evidence for a comforting outcome.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles2020016
Authors: Andrea Giglio Karsten Neuwerk Michael Haupt Giovanni Maria Conti Ingrid Paoletti
Persistent poor acoustic conditions can imbalance humans’ psychophysical capabilities. A good acoustic project starts with either correct measurements of the existing acoustic parameters or with the correct hypothesis of new sound conditions. International standards define invasive measurement conditions and procedures that can disturb user activities. For this reason, alternative methodologies have been developed by mounting real-time sound-monitoring devices. Most of the research on these aims to decrease their dimensions in order to be placed in the tight service spaces of modern architecture and to reduce their aesthetic impact on interiors design. In this perspective, this article explores the features and potentialities of textile-based sound sensors (TSS) as they can not only fulfill these needs but can also be used as architectural ornaments by partially wrapping interiors. The ubiquitous of e-textiles for wearable applications has led to increasing the performance of TSS. Therefore, a comparison of the sensitivity values, signal-to-noise ratio and noise floor of sound TSS with sound sensors is presented, which is still missing in the literature. The paper demonstrates how these can be exploited for sound monitoring and can provide valid opportunities for new smart acoustic textiles.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles2020015
Authors: Levi Kapllani Chelsea Amanatides Genevieve Dion David E. Breen
In this paper, we describe algorithms that perform loop order analysis of weft-knitted textiles, which build upon the foundational TopoKnit topological data structure and associated query functions. During knitting, loops of yarn may be overlayed on top of each other and then stitched together with another piece of yarn. Loop order analysis aims to determine the front-to-back ordering of these overlapping loops, given a stitch pattern that defines the knitted fabric. Loop order information is crucial for the simulation of electrical current, water, force, and heat flow within functional fabrics. The new algorithms are based on the assumption that stitch instructions are executed row-by-row and for each row the instructions can be executed in any temporal order. To make our algorithms knitting-machine-independent, loop order analysis utilizes precedence rules that capture the order that stitch commands are executed when a row of yarn loops are being knitted by a two-bed flat weft knitting machine. Basing the algorithms on precedence rules allows them to be modified to adapt to the analysis of fabrics manufactured on a variety of knitting machines that may execute stitch commands in different temporal orders. Additionally, we have developed visualization methods for displaying the loop order information within the context of a TopoKnit yarn topology graph.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles2020014
Authors: Khorolsuren Tuvshinbayar Guido Ehrmann Andrea Ehrmann
The electrocardiogram (ECG) is one of the most commonly measured biosignals. In particular, textile electrodes allow for the measuring of long-term ECG without skin irritation or other discomforts for the patient. Such textile electrodes, however, usually suffer from insufficient or unreliable skin contact. Thus, developing textile electrodes is impeded by the often-complicated differentiation between signal artifacts due to moving and breathing and artifacts related to unreliable skin contact. Here, we suggest a simple method of using 50/60 Hz power grid noise to evaluate the skin contact of different textile electrodes in comparison with commercial glued electrodes. We use this method to show the drying of wetted skin under an embroidered electrode as well as sweating of the originally dry skin under a coated electrode with high water vapor resistance.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles2020013
Authors: Ana Kramar Mirjana M. Kostic
In the past two decades, a growing body of research regarding the utilization of natural bacterial pigments or dyes for textile dyeing has emerged. Bacterial pigments are bacterial secondary metabolites that usually have bright colors and some special properties (e.g., antimicrobial, antioxidative, UV protective etc.). In addition to their high production yield, these special properties led scientists to research and develop methods for utilizing bacterial pigments in textile dyeing. This study presents the current state this field of research, with a focus on the dyeing potential of bacterial pigments for different types of textile material. The potential future directions of research in this area are also highlighted. In addition to the durable dyeing of textiles, bacterial pigments with special properties, such as antimicrobial activity, can add multifunctionality to dyed materials, thus increasing the value of the final product. This emerging field of research will also have a great impact on sustainability and the environment, contributing to the decreased usage of synthetic dyes in the textile industry.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles2020012
Authors: Boris Mahltig Thomas Grethe
This review supports an overview of selected high-performance fibers and functional fiber materials. A review of several properties and applications is given. For fiber materials and fabrics, microscopic images taken by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) are presented. As well as this, electron dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) is performed on the fiber materials and an overview of EDS spectra is presented. The features of SEM images and EDS spectra are discussed, especially with the aim of supporting people who are working in the field of fiber analytics. To support a complete view of both analytic methods—SEM and EDS—challenges and typical mistakes for SEM measurements on textiles are also described. Altogether, this review supports a useful overview of interesting high technology fiber materials and their investigation using the analytical methods SEM and EDS. Using these, material properties and their composition are presented and discussed. The composition of industrial fiber materials is investigated and discussed, as well as fiber treatments for the realization of functional fiber properties. Furthermore, it aims to support a helpful tool for fiber and textile analytics and identification.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles2020011
Authors: Fulga Tanasă Mărioara Nechifor Mauruşa-Elena Ignat Carmen-Alice Teacă
Geotextiles, a group of high-performance materials, have grown during the last decades into needful auxiliaries when it comes to infrastructure, soil, construction, agriculture and environmental applications. Although geotextiles made of synthetic fibers (geosynthetics) are considered a modern achievement, the basic concept dates back to ancient times when textiles consisting of locally available natural fibers were employed to increase the stability of roads and soils. In recent decades, considering the growing interest in environmental protection and sustainable development based on using renewable resources and the recovery and recycling of waste of various origins, the use of natural fibers-based geotextiles is a viable alternative, despite their limited-life service owing to their biodegradability. In addition to this feature, their low cost, good mechanical properties and large-scale accessibility recommend them for geo-engineering applications, environmental sensitive applications in geotechnical engineering, such as land improvements and soil erosion control. This paper focuses on geotextiles as a versatile tool in environmental applications given their high theoretic and practical relevance as substantiated by recent literature reports. Natural and synthetic geotextiles are presented herein, as well as their features that recommend them for geo-engineering. Insights on the main types of applications of geotextiles are also included, along with a wide variety of materials employed to perform specific functions.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles2010010
Authors: Jeanger P. Juanga-Labayen Ildefonso V. Labayen Qiuyan Yuan
The expansion of clothing and textile industry and the fast fashion trend among consumers have caused a rapid global increase in textile waste in the municipal solid waste (MSW) stream. Worldwide, 75% of textile waste is landfilled, while 25% is recycled or reused. Landfilling of textile waste is a prevalent option that is deemed unsustainable. Promoting an enhanced diversion of textile waste from landfills demands optimized reuse and recycling technologies. Reuse is the more preferred option compared with recycling. Various textile reuse and recycling technologies are available and progressively innovated to favor blended fabrics. This paper aims to establish reuse and recycling technologies (anaerobic digestion, fermentation, composting, fiber regeneration, and thermal recovery) to manage textile waste. Improved collection systems, automation of sorting, and discovering new technologies for textile recycling remains a challenge. Applying extended producer responsibility (EPR) policy and a circular economy system implies a holistic consensus among major stakeholders.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles2010009
Authors: Inga Lasenko Dace Grauda Dalius Butkauskas Jaymin Vrajlal Sanchaniya Arta Viluma-Gudmona Vitalijs Lusis
In this research, we focused on testing the physical and mechanical properties of the developed polyacrylonitrile (PAN) composite nanofibers with succinite (Baltic amber) and SiO2 particles using standard methods of nanofiber testing (physical and mechanical properties). Polyacrylonitrile composite nanofibers (based on the electrospinning method) were coated on an aluminum substrate for structural investigation. SEM was used to determine the average fiber diameter and standard deviation. The mechanical properties of the fibers were determined using a universal testing machine (NANO, MTS). We observed that constant or decreased levels of crystallinity in the ultrafine composite nanofibers led to the preservation of high levels of strain at failure and that the strength of nanofibers increased substantially as their diameter reduced. Improvements in PAN composite nanofibers with succinite and SiO2 nanopowder are feasible with continuous decreases in diameter. The drastically decreased strain at failure demonstrated a substantial reduction in viscosity (toughness) of the annealed nanofibers. Large stresses at failure in the as-spun nanofibers were a result of their low crystallinity. As a result, decreasing the diameter of PAN nanofibers from approximately 2 micrometers to 139 nanometers (the smallest nanofiber tested) resulted in instantaneous increases in the elastic modulus from 1 to 26 GPa, true strength from 100 to 1750 MPa, and toughness from 20 to 604 MPa.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles2010008
Authors: Mohamad Abbas Kaddaha Rafic Younes Pascal Lafon
A new geometrical modeling tool has been developed to predict the elastic stiffness properties of 2D orthogonal and 2.5D woven interlock composites. The model estimates the change in performance due to changes in the ordering weaving parameters of the 2.5D weave architecture. Analysis results were validated compared to other models developed in published articles and the literature. Numerical analysis was performed to evaluate the accuracy of the results from the proposed models. These results demonstrate the effectiveness of the models presented by comparisons with experimental results, showing that the model could replicate the mechanical behaviors of 2D fabric and 2.5D interlock composite laminates for predicting 2D textile structures and 2.5D interlock composites with different types, shapes, and conditions. The model presented in this paper is able to replicate the behavior of woven composites of fiber reinforced with various types.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles2010007
Authors: Shakir Zainuddin Thomas Scheibel
Nanofiber-based nonwoven mats produced in electrospinning setups are usually very fragile, which often limits their applicability. Yarns have the potential to enable the incorporation of nanofibers into other materials using well-established techniques such as sewing, knitting, weaving and embroidering, thus broadening the application of nanofibers. Here, we review the development of continuous yarn electrospinning processes. Amongst several possible approaches, funnel-based collector systems have been widely adopted. Here, we summarize recent developments in the field and highlight studies providing visions on how to expand that field of research in future studies of continuous yarn electrospinning.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles2010006
Authors: Jie Wang Peng Wang Nahiene Hamila Philippe Boisse
The RTM (Resin Transfer Molding) manufacturing process is largely used for the fabrication of textile composites. During the forming phase, the deformations of composite reinforcements at the mesoscopic scale, such as the positions, orientations, and changes in the sections of deformed yarns, are essential to calculate the permeability of the reinforcement in the injection phase and evaluate the mechanical behaviors of the final products. However, the mesoscopic models of the forming simulation lead to a high computational cost due to the numerous yarns and their complex contacts, especially for thick reinforcements. In this paper, a macro-meso method for predicting the mesoscopic deformations of composite reinforcements with a reasonable calculation time is presented in this paper. The proposed multi-scale method allows for the linkage of the macroscopic simulation of reinforcements with the mesoscopic modelling of an RVE (Representative Volume Element) through a macro-meso embedded approach. Based on macroscopic simulations using a 3D hyperelastic constitutive law, an embedded mesoscopic geometry is first deduced. The macro-meso embedded solution can lead to excessive extensions of yarns. To overcome this inconvenience, a local mesoscopic simulation based on the macro-meso embedded analysis is carried out on a single RVE. Finally, the multi-scale forming simulations are investigated in comparison with the experimental results, illustrating the efficiency of the proposed method.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles2010005
Authors: Fei Huang Jiyong Hu Xiong Yan
Flexible textile strain sensors that can be directly integrated into clothing have attracted much attention due to their great potential in wearable human health monitoring systems and human–computer interactions. Fiber- or yarn-based strain sensors are promising candidate materials for flexible and wearable electronics due to their light weights, good stretchability, high intrinsic and structural flexibility, and flexible integrability. This article investigates representative conductive materials, traditional and novel preparation methods and the structural design of fiber- or yarn-based resistive strain sensors as well as the interconnection and encapsulation of sensing fibers or yarns. In addition, this review summarizes the effects of the conductive materials, preparation strategy and structures on the crucial sensing performance. Discussions will be presented regarding the applications of fiber- or yarn-based resistive strain sensors. Finally, this article summarizes the bottleneck of current fiber- or yarn-based resistive strain sensors in terms of conductive materials, fabrication techniques, integration and performance, as well as scientific understanding, and proposes future research directions.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles2010004
Authors: Yusuke Yamada
Deciphering how the dielectric properties of textile materials are orchestrated by their internal components has far-reaching implications. For the development of textile-based electronics, which have gained ever-increasing attention for their uniquely combined features of electronics and traditional fabrics, both performance and form factor are critically dependent on the dielectric properties. The knowledge of the dielectric properties of textile materials is thus crucial in successful design and operation of textile-based electronics. While the dielectric properties of textile materials could be estimated to some extent from the compositional profiles, recent studies have identified various additional factors that have also substantial influence. From the viewpoint of materials characterization, such dependence of the dielectric properties of textile materials have given rise to a new possibility—information on various internal components could be, upon successful correlation, extracted by measuring the dielectric properties. In view of these considerable implications, this invited review paper summarizes various fundamental theories and principles related to the dielectric properties of textile materials. In order to provide an imperative basis for uncovering various factors that intricately influence the dielectric properties of textile materials, the foundations of the dielectrics and polarization mechanisms are first recapitulated, followed by an overview on the concept of homogenization and the dielectric mixture theory. The principal advantages, challenges and opportunities in the analytical approximations of the dielectric properties of textile materials are then discussed based on the findings from the recent literature, and finally a variety of characterization methods suitable for measuring the dielectric properties of textile materials are described. It is among the objectives of this paper to build a practical signpost for scientists and engineers in this rapidly evolving, cross-disciplinary field.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles2010003
Authors: Sunidhi Mehta Maureen MacGillivray
Integrative medicine is a rapidly growing specialty field of medical care that emphasizes the amalgamation of complementary therapies and conventional medicine. Aromatherapy, one of the complementary therapies, is a centuries-old tradition, used in many cultures and societies as an alternative to, or in conjunction with, conventional medicine. However, there is very little understanding of its therapeutic benefits in the scientific realm related to the correct dosage of essential oils, their delivery mechanism and their efficacy on human physiology in general. We reviewed studies published between 2011–2021 focused on aromatherapy and textiles, and explore “textile” materials as a possible carrier for essential oils in this paper. Due to their proximity to the biggest organ of the human body, textiles can potentially serve as a good delivery system for the therapeutic benefit of essential oils. After this rigorous review, we found gaps in the field. Therefore, we propose cross-disciplinary synergies for future research to fully understand the therapeutic efficacy of essential oils.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles2010002
Authors: Sumit Mandal Guowen Song
This study performs an analysis of steam penetration through thermal protective fabric materials. Different, multilayered thermal protective fabrics were selected and tested in a laboratory-simulated steam exposure, and their steam protective performance (SPP) was measured in terms of the time required to generate second-degree burns on the bodies of wearers. Additionally, the total transmitted thermal energy (TTTE) through the fabrics during testing was measured. Through statistical analysis, it was established that fabric properties, namely air permeability and thickness, are the key factors that affect the SPP and TTTE; the relationship among the fabric properties, SPP, and TTTE is also summarized. Theoretically, it has been found that heat and mass (steam) transfer occur through fabrics in the course of steam exposure, which mainly affect the SPP and TTTE. This study could help textile/materials engineers to develop high performance thermal protective fabrics for the increased occupational health and safety of firefighters and industrial workers.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles2010001
Authors: Shivangi Shukla Bijoya Kumar Behera Rajesh Kumar Mishra Martin Tichý Viktor Kolář Miroslav Müller
The current research is focused on the design and development of auxetic woven structures. Finite element analysis based on computational modeling and prediction of axial strain as well as Poisson’s ratio was carried out. Further, an analytical model was used to calculate the same parameters by a foldable zig-zag geometry. In the analytical model, Poisson’s ratio is based on the crimp percentage, bending modulus, yarn spacing, and coefficient of friction. In this yarn, properties and fabric parameters were also considered. Experimental samples were evaluated for the actual performance of the defined auxetic material. Auxetic fabric was developed with foldable strips created in a zig-zag way in the vertical (warp) direction. It is based on the principle that when the fabric is stretched, the unfolding of the folds takes place, leading to an increase in transverse dimensions. Both the analytical and computational models gave close predictions to the experimental results. The fabric with foldable strips created in a zig-zag way in the vertical (warp) direction produced negative Poisson’s ratio (NPR), up to 8.7% of axial strain, and a maximum Poisson’s ratio of −0.41 produced at an axial strain of around 1%. The error percentage in the analytical model was 37.14% for the experimental results. The computational results also predict the Poisson’s ratio with an error percentage of 22.26%. Such predictions are useful for estimating the performance of auxetic woven structures in composite reinforcement. The auxetic structure exhibits remarkable stress-strain behavior in the longitudinal as well as transverse directions. This performance is useful for energy absorption in composite reinforcement.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles1030030
Authors: Azmary Akter Mukthy Michal Vik Martina Viková
A standardized source of light is essential for visual color assessments, which is why lighting booths were developed. For the best results in visual assessment, it is important to consider the right choice of light source, the right viewing conditions, and the variability of the viewer. To date, many light booth technologies have been introduced to meet user demands. Since most of the light sources on the market are characterized by the designer or manufacturer, the resulting variations from booth-to-booth remain. In this study, we compared the performance of two standard light booths to assess the color difference of eleven metameric pairs. In this study, we checked an earlier technology-based light booth that is still used in the textile industry and contains illuminant A (Tungsten lamp) with CCT 2700 K, TL84 (tri-band fluorescent tube) with CCT 4000 K, and simulator D65 (CCT 6500 K) with a different light booth whose original light sources have been replaced by currently available LED retro kits from equivalent CCTs. As an inexperienced customer or industrial user, our question was, how important is this replacement? The results revealed that two different standard lighting technologies with similar CCTs cannot reproduce the same estimates because the light sources produced different SPDs. It is illustrating that caution is necessary when comparing results obtained from two different light booths containing light sources with similar CCTs but different SPDs. This comparative study suggested that the variability of the light sources’ SPDs or the observer or the sample should be modeled considering light booth’s technology to estimate its contribution to the overall variability. The close relationship between perceived and CAM02-UCS suggests that if both booths are used after the light sources have been calibrated, a formula based on color appearance models must be used to predict color appearance. To obtain better agreement between perceived and calculated color difference, one must need to avoid light booths with nominally white light sources.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles1030029
Authors: Sofia Benouakta Florin Doru Hutu Yvan Duroc
In the context of wearable technology, several techniques have been used for the fabrication of radio frequency identification (RFID) tags such as 3D printing, inkjet printing, and even embroidery. In contrast to these methods where the tag is attached to the object by using sewing or simple sticking, the E-Thread® technology is a novel assembling method allowing for the integration of the RFID tag into a textile yarn and thus makes it embeddable into the object at the fabrication stage. The current E-Thread® yarn uses a RFID tag in which the antenna is a straight half-wave dipole that makes the solution vulnerable to mechanical strains (i.e., elongation). In this paper, we propose an alternative to the current RFID yarn solution with the use of an antenna having a helical geometry that answers to the mechanical issues and keeps quite similar electrical and radiative properties with respect to the present solution. The RFID helical tag was designed and simulated taking into consideration the constraints of the manufacturing process. The helical RFID tag was then fabricated using the E-Thread® technology and experimental characterization showed that the obtained structure exhibited good performance with 10.6 m of read range in the ultra high frequency (UHF) RFID band and 10% of tolerance in terms of elongation.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles1030028
Authors: Ashley Kubley Megha Chitranshi Xiaoda Hou Mark Schulz
The integration of carbon nanotube fabric into textiles is paving its way into smart materials and wearable applications. Potential novel applications of carbon nanotube hybrid (CNTH) materials and fabric composites span across a range of market levels from high-level PPE appropriate for military and industrial applications down to consumer products that can be used in everyday scenarios. The high-level performance properties of CNTH materials and their ability to be customized provide new possibilities for constructing fabrics with properties that are made to order. Furthermore, CNTH in combination with advanced textile compositing and construction methods allows the CNTH material to further leverage material customization aspects to meet specific requirements. The unique synthesis process for nanotube fabric allows for modification of the physical properties of the CNTH itself. The CNTH fabric combined with the customizability of standard textile composite materials and with the use of apparel design features allows for the design of materials with new combinations of physical properties. These unique properties offer high potential for developing families of smart wearable garments that can be scaled for industrial production. This article discusses the synthesis of carbon nanotube hybrid fabric, the process of hybrid fabric and textile integration, properties of the hybrid textile, and potential applications. The paper also provides an outlook towards large scale production of the hybrid textile material.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles1030027
Authors: Wei Cui Ruijie Zhu
Soft composites are widely employed in industrial and biomedical fields, which often serve as load-bearing structural materials by virtue of a special combination of high strength, high toughness, and low flexural stiffness. Understanding the toughening mechanism of such composites is crucial for designing the next-generation soft materials. In this review, we give an overview of recent progress in soft composites, focusing on the design strategy, mechanical properties, toughening mechanisms, and relevant applications. Fundamental design strategies for soft composites that dissipate energy at different length scales are firstly described. By subsequently elucidating the synergistic effects of combining soft and hard phases, we show how a resulting composite can achieve unprecedented mechanical performance by optimizing the energy dissipation. Relevant toughening models are discussed to interpret the superior strength and fracture toughness of such soft composites. We also highlight relevant applications of these soft composites by taking advantage of their special mechanical responses.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles1030026
Authors: Marc Martínez-Estrada Ignacio Gil Raúl Fernández-García
In this paper, a method to develop embroidered textile strain resistive sensors is presented. The method is based on two overlapped zigzag conductive yarn patterns embroidered in an elastic textile. To demonstrate the functionality of the proposed configuration, a textile sensor embroidered with a conductor yarn composed of 99% pure silver-plated nylon yarn 140/17 dtex has been experimentally characterised for an elongation range from 0% to 65%. In order to show the sensor applicability, a second test with the sensor embroidered in a knee-pad has been done to evaluate the flexion knee angle from 180° to 300°. The experimental results show the usefulness of the proposed method to develop fabric strain sensors that can help to manufacture commercial applications on the healthcare sector.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles1030025
Authors: Denis Richard Seninde Edgar Chambers IV Delores H. Chambers Edgar Chambers V
Modern textile consumers are increasingly becoming more watchful of the quality of the textiles that they purchase. This has increased the need for textile producers, especially artisan textile makers (e.g., knitters, tailors, dressmakers, seamstresses, and quilters), to improve the quality of their textile products. Information on several analytical tools that are commonly used for assessing the quality of textiles is abundant, but consumer-based tools for evaluating the quality of textiles remain limited. A consumer-based artisan textile-quality scale was developed using data collected from two focus groups (Phase 1) and a consumer quantitative study, n = 196 (Phase 2). Ten scarves and shawls were evaluated in the quantitative study and analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine the differences between the mean textile ratings for all the statements. Coefficient alpha (final raw alpha = 0.87) was also used to assess if the statements were consistent in the way they measured the quality of the textiles. Pearson correlation tests were used to validate the six-statement quality scale that included statements such as overall attention to detail, the fabric is durable, and stitching is even and consistent. Artisan textile makers in the USA can use this scale to better meet the functional needs of their customers. Additionally, the process that was employed in the development of the six-statement quality scale can be used by researchers in other countries to understand better the key quality characteristics of artisan as well other textile products.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles1030024
Authors: Jiří Militký Dana Křemenáková Miroslav Václavík Václav Klička Stanislav Dídek
The main aim of this review is to discuss and explain breakthrough solutions and main improvements in the construction of textile machinery originating in Czech Republic and their influence on processing and quality of textile products. Open-end spinning, jet weft insertion and jet looms, perpendicularly layered nonwovens and needleless electrospinning machines for manufacturing nanofibrous assemblies and corresponding technologies developed in Czech Republic are briefly discussed and pictorially illustrated. This review is also focused on specifying the different factors responsible for the development of technology and products in textile branches. The human and civilization factors influencing textile production and general requirement for advanced textile products are critically discussed. The unique position of the textile industry in society is demonstrated. The future basic needs that influence textile branch development are discussed.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles1030023
Authors: Philip R. Barnett Hicham K. Ghossein
Carbon fiber recycling has garnered significant attention in recent years due to the large volume of manufacturing waste and upcoming end-of-life products that will enter the waste stream as the current generation of aircraft is retired from service. Recycled carbon fibers have been shown to retain most of their virgin mechanical properties, but their length is generally reduced such that continuous fiber laminates cannot be remade. As such, these fibers are typically used in low-performance applications including injection molding, extrusion/compression molding, and 3D printing that further degrade the fiber length and resulting composite properties. However, recent advances in the processing of long discontinuous fiber textiles have led to medium- to high-performance composites using recycled carbon fibers. This review paper describes the recent advances in recycled carbon fiber textile processing that have made these improvements possible. The techniques used to manufacture high-value polymer composites reinforced with discontinuous recycled carbon fiber are described. The resulting mechanical and multifunctional properties are also discussed to illustrate the advantages of these new textile-based recycled fiber composites over the prior art.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles1030022
Authors: Sheng Yong Meijing Liu Abiodun Komolafe John Tudor Kai Yang
Conductive tracks are key constituents of wearable electronics and e-textiles, as they form the interconnective links between wearable electrical devices/systems. They are made by coating or printing conductive patterns or tracks on textiles or by weaving, knitting, or embroidering conductive yarns into textiles. Screen printing is a mature and cost-effective fabrication method that is used in the textile industry. It allows a high degree of geometric freedom for the design of conductive patterns or tracks. Current screen-printed conductive textiles have the limitations of low durability when washed or when placed under bending, and they typically require encapsulation layers to protect the printed conductor. This paper presents a printable paste formulation and fabrication process based on screen printing for achieving a flexible and durable conductive polyester-cotton textile using an inexpensive carbon as the conductor. The process does not require an interface, the smoothing of the textile, or an encapsulation layer to protect the conductor on the textile. A resistivity of 4 × 10−2 Ω·m was achieved. The textile remains conductive after 20 standard washes, resulting in the conductor’s resistance increasing by 140%. The conductive textile demonstrated less than ±10% resistance variation after bending for 2000 cycles.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles1030021
Authors: Gilda Santos Rita Marques Sofia Silva Juliana Oliveira Pegui Castro Carla Pereira Manuel Pinheiro
Technical clothing with light-responsive features for outdoor sports practiced in environments with low visibility is extremely important for athletes’ safety. Lack of signaling by users and visibility for drivers is one of accidents causes, namely run overs, which can leave serious consequences. The products available on the market lack efficiency and their design is not appealing which makes the development of these new materials a compelling need. Therefore, fluorescent and phosphorescent functional finishings with ability to provide illuminant signalization without compromising the design and/or color of clothing as well as comfort and ergonomics, were developed and applied in the textile structure by knife over roll coating technology. The greatest challenge is to integrate the high visibility materials without compromising the design of the garment and accomplish the European Standard of Protective clothing: Enhanced visibility equipment for medium risk situations and test methods and requirements—EN 17353 (that supersedes EN1150:1999 and allows more freedom in the design of the apparel) published in 2020. Phosphorescent materials were evaluated by luminance decay according to DIN 67510, before and after fastness to wash tests. Results obtained regarding high visibility functional finishings and the integration of the materials developed in the final sports collection will be presented.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles1020020
Authors: Marco Carlo Rampini Giulio Zani Louis Schouler Matteo Colombo Marco di Prisco
Alkali-resistant (AR) glass textiles are used as the main reinforcement in several composite applications due to their good performance-to-cost ratio. A huge variety of textiles are already present in the market; they differ on various parameters, such as, for example, the filaments’ diameters, the geometry, the type of weaving, or the nature of the impregnation coating. To orient manufacturers towards the production of efficient textiles, the most important aspect is the balance between cost and performance. In this paper, a series of different fabrics designed for textile-reinforced cementitious composites were considered. Performance was assessed by means of uniaxial tensile tests and the results are presented in terms of load vs. displacement. Then, the selected AR-glass textiles were compared in terms of fabric efficiency, targeting the effect of each parameter on the textile capacity. The research here presented is part of a comprehensive campaign aimed at the optimization of glass-fabric-reinforced cementitious composites for structural retrofitting. To better discuss the different solutions tested, at the end, only considering a small number of the investigated textiles, an efficiency evaluation was carried out at the cementitious composite level.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles1020019
Authors: Md Nakib Ul Hasan Chuanlan Liu Bulbul Ahmed
The purpose of this research was to evaluate the differences and similarities of organic cotton clothing (OCC) purchase behaviors of the consumers who lie at the top and the bottom of the apparel supply chain. The influences of consumers’ sustainability knowledge and social norms on consumers’ attitudes and purchase intentions were examined to understand within the framework of the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA). Sample data were collected from the United States and Bangladesh and, finally, 136 useable responses were used for the data analysis. Among the useable responses, 85 samples were from the US (containing 91.76% female participants and 4.71% male participants) and 51 responses were from the Bangladesh sample (containing 7.84% female participants and 88.24% male participants). A structural equation model was conducted to test the proposed hypotheses. Findings showed that for US consumers, sustainability knowledge was a powerful predictor of positive attitudes towards OCC, while for Bangladeshi consumers, it was not. In the context of social norms, Bangladeshi consumers demonstrated a strong positive attitudes formation whereas American consumers were found to display less strong relationships. OCC marketers and retailers should concentrate on educating consumers about the real benefits of organic cotton consumption by disseminating proper information about organic cotton fiber and its processing.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles1020018
Authors: Maimuna Akter Fahim Bin Abdur Rahman M. Zainal Abedin S M Fijul Kabir
Disposal of reactive dye contaminants in surface waters causes serious health risks to the aquatic living bodies and populations adjacent to the polluted water sources. This study investigated the applicability of banana peels to remediate water contamination with reactive dyes used in the textile industry. A set of batch experiments was conducted using a standard dye solution to determine optimum adsorption parameters, and these parameters were used for the removal of dyes from actual wastewater. Fitting experimental data into the isotherm and kinetic models suggested monolayer dye adsorption with chemisorption rate-limiting step. The maximum adsorption found from modeling results was 28.8 mg/g. Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) spectra revealed the existence of hydroxyl, amine and carboxylic groups, contributing to high adsorption of dye molecules onto the adsorbent surface. About 93% of the dyes from the standard solution were removed at optimum conditions (pH—7.0, initial dye concentration—100 mg/L, contact time—60 min, and adsorbent dose—0.5 g) while this value was 84.2% for industrial textile wastewater. This difference was mainly attributed to the composition difference between the solutions. However, the removal efficiency for actual wastewater is still significant, indicating the high potentiality of banana peel removing dyes from textile effluent. Furthermore, desorption studies showed about 95% of banana peel can be recovered with simple acid-base treatment.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles1020017
Authors: Jan Kallweit Mark Pätzel Franz Pursche Junes Jabban Mohamad Morobeid Thomas Gries
An overview of the most important methods for producing side-emitting polymer optical fibers is given. Based on a systematic literature and patent search, the methods that are applied in practice and explored in research are identified. The fabrication methods are classified into four groups according to the physical phenomenon that hinders total internal reflection: bulk scattering, bending, surface perforations and luminescence. Subdivisions are made regarding the actual processing steps. The production methods are described in detail and discussed with respect to their customizability and applications.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles1020016
Authors: Julia Orlik Maxime Krier David Neusius Kathrin Pietsch Olena Sivak Konrad Steiner
In many textiles and fiber structures, the behavior of the material is determined by the structural arrangements of the fibers, their thickness and cross-section, as well as their material properties. Textiles are thin plates made of thin long yarns in frictional contact with each other that are connected via a rule defined by a looping diagram. The yarns themselves are stretchable or non-stretchable. All these structural parameters of a textile define its macroscopic behavior. Its folding is determined by all these parameters and the kind of the boundary fixation or loading direction. The next influencing characteristic is the value of the loading. The same textile can behave similar to a shell and work just for bending, or behave as a membrane with large tension deformations under different magnitudes of the loading forces. In our research, bounds on the loading and frictional parameters for both types of behavior are found. Additionally, algorithms for the computation of effective textile properties based on the structural information are proposed. Further focus of our research is the nature of folding, induced by pre-strain in yarns and some in-plane restriction of the textile movements, or by the local knitting or weaving pattern and the yarn’s cross-sections. Further investigations concern different applications with spacer fabrics. Structural parameters influencing the macroscopic fabric behavior are investigated and a way for optimization is proposed. An overview of our published mathematical and numerical papers with developed algorithms is given and our numerical tools based on these theoretical results are demonstrated.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles1020015
Authors: Yu Chen Yiduo Yang Mengjiao Li Erdong Chen Weilei Mu Rosie Fisher Rong Yin
The booming wearable market and recent advances in material science has led to the rapid development of the various wearable sensors, actuators, and devices that can be worn, embedded in fabric, accessorized, or tattooed directly onto the skin. Wearable actuators, a subcategory of wearable technology, have attracted enormous interest from researchers in various disciplines and many wearable actuators and devices have been developed in the past few decades to assist and improve people’s everyday lives. In this paper, we review the actuation mechanisms, structures, applications, and limitations of recently developed wearable actuators including pneumatic and hydraulic actuators, shape memory alloys and polymers, thermal and hygroscopic materials, dielectric elastomers, ionic and conducting polymers, piezoelectric actuators, electromagnetic actuators, liquid crystal elastomers, etc. Examples of recent applications such as wearable soft robots, haptic devices, and personal thermal regulation textiles are highlighted. Finally, we point out the current bottleneck and suggest the prospective future research directions for wearable actuators.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles1020014
Authors: Christina Schippers Elena Marx Ralf Taubner Jochen Gutmann Larisa Tsarkova
The presented research aims to characterize hydrolytic resistance of highly crystalline and oriented polylactide (PLA) as a prerequisite for exploiting this bio-based material in durable applications. Industrially melt-spun PLA monofilaments and nonwovens have been subjected to environmental aging in a temperature range of 50–70 °C at a wide range of relative humidity (RH) in order to identify the onset of the material degradation under application conditions. Along with the measurements of mechanical and thermal behavior of the aged samples, the suitability of FTIR spectroscopy to probe the initial changes in the crystalline structure and in chemical composition of the fibers, caused by hydrolytic degradation, has been evaluated. The diagrams of stability and hydrolytic degradation under employed environmental aging for 7–14 days are presented for both types of PLA materials. Assessment of filtration performance of the artificially aged fibrous PLA media indicated a good agreement with the established stability diagram and confirmed the application potential of PLA nonwoven media, spun from currently available PLA grades, in air filtration under moderate climatic conditions up to max 50 °C and 50% RH. The presented results advance the knowledge on hydrolytic resistance of bio-based industry-relevant fibers and therefore open new application areas for sustainable materials with biodegradable components.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles1020013
Authors: Heitor Luiz Ornaghi Roberta Motta Neves Francisco M. Monticeli
Lignocellulosic fibers are widely applied as reinforcement in polymer composites due to their properties. The thermal degradation behavior governs the maximum temperature at which the fiber can be applied without significant mass loss. It is possible to determine this temperature using Thermogravimetric Analysis (TG). In particular, when curves are obtained at different heating rates, kinetic parameters can be determined by using Arrhenius-based equations, and more detailed characteristics of the material are obtained. However, every curve obtained at a distinct heating rate demands material, cost and time. Methods to predict thermogravimetric curves can be very useful in the materials science field, and in this sense, mathematical approaches are powerful tools, if well employed. For this reason, in the present study, thermogravimetric curves from curaua fiber were obtained at four different heating rates (5, 10, 20 and 40 °C·min−1) and Vyazovkin kinetic parameters were obtained using free available software. After, the experimental curves were fitted using an artificial neural network (ANN) approach followed by a Surface Response Methodology (SRM) aiming to obtain curves at any heating rate between the minimum and maximum experimental heating rates. Finally, Vyazovkin kinetic parameters were tested again, with the new predicted curves at the heating rates of 7, 15, 30 and 50 °C·min−1. Similar values of the kinetic parameters were obtained compared to the experimental ones. In conclusion, due to the capability to learn from the own data, ANN combined with SRM seems to be an excellent alternative to predict TG curves that do not test experimentally, opening the range of applications.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles1020012
Authors: Mourad Krifa
This paper reviews some prominent applications and approaches to developing smart fabrics for wearable technology. The importance of flexible and electrically conductive textiles in the emerging body-centric sensing and wireless communication systems is highlighted. Examples of applications are discussed with a focus on a range of textile-based sensors and antennas. Developments in alternative materials and structures for producing flexible and conductive textiles are reviewed, including inherently conductive polymers, carbon-based materials, and nano-enhanced composite fibers and fibrous structures.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles1020011
Authors: Tonoy Chowdhury Nandika D’Souza Diana Berman
Magnetically responsive, mechanically stable and highly flexible iron (III) oxide-polyvinylidene fluoride (Fe3O4-PVDF) piezoelectric composite fiber mats were fabricated via one step electrospinning method for magnetic sensing at cryogenic temperature. The properties of Fe3O4-PVDF composite fiber mats were characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, d33 and magnetization test. The fiber diameter decreased as the concentration of Fe3O4 increased. The DSC results suggested a decrease in the crystallinity of the composite fiber mats after adding Fe3O4, and the XRD curves identified that the decrease in crystallinity took place in the β crystalline phases of the fibers. FT-IR results further confirmed the reduction of β phases of the composite fiber mats which dropped the piezoelectric response of the fiber mats by 38% for 5% Fe3O4-PVDF than PVDF fiber but still 400% higher than PVDF pellets. The magnetization test advocated a superparamagnetic state of the fiber at room temperature but a ferromagnetic behavior at a lower temperature. The coercivity values of the mats suggested a homogeneous dispersion of the Fe3O4 nanoparticles into the PVDF matrix. Young’s modulus (E) of the fibers remained the same before and after the magnetization test, indicating the mechanical stability of the fiber in the range of 5 K to 300 K. Its mechanical stability, superparamagnetic behavior at room temperature and ferromagnetic at low temperature could open up its application in spintronic devices at cryogenic temperature and cryogenic power electronic devices.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles1020010
Authors: Amirhossein Ahmadian Abbas Shafiee Nojan Aliahmad Mangilal Agarwal
Electrospun nano-fibers exhibit two significant properties: a high surface-to-volume ratio and a relatively defect-free molecular structure. Due to the high surface-to-volume ratio, electro-spun materials are well suited for activities requiring increased physical contact, such as providing a site for a chemical reaction or filtration of small-sized physical materials. However, electrospinning has many shortcomings, including difficulties in producing inorganic nanofibers and a limited number or variety of polymers used in the process. The fabrication of nanofiber bundles via electrospinning is explored in this analytical study and the relationship between all effective electrospinning parameters and the relative abundance of various fiber morphologies. Numerous variables could impact the fabrication of nanofibers, resulting in a variety of morphologies such as uniform, entangled, individual beads, beads-on-string, etc. Therefore, adequate ambient conditions and selecting the appropriate polymer and solvent for achieving a homogenous polymer solution and uniform with desired nanofiber properties for different applications of electro-spun materials are examined. Finally, the promising applications of nano-fine fibers in various fields achieved via electrospinning are studied in this paper.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles1020009
Authors: Caroline Emonts Niels Grigat Felix Merkord Ben Vollbrecht Akram Idrissi Johannes Sackmann Thomas Gries
Braids are generally divided into 2D braids and 3D braids. Two-dimensional braids include flat braids and circular braids. Circular braids represent three-dimensional textiles, as they enclose a volume, but consist of a two-dimensional yarn architecture. Three-dimensional braids are defined by a three-dimensional yarn architecture. Historically, 3D braids were produced on row and column braiding machines with Cartesian or radial machine beds, by bobbin movements around inlay yarns. Three-dimensional rotary braiding machines allow a more flexible braiding process, as the bobbins are moved via individually controlled horn gears and switches. Both braiding machines at the Institut für Textiltechnik (ITA) of RWTH Aachen University, Germany, are based on the principal of 3D rotary machines. The fully digitized 3D braiding machine with an Industry 4.0 standard enables the near-net-shape production of three-dimensionally braided textile preforms for lightweight applications. The preforms can be specifically reinforced in all three spatial directions according to the application. Complex 3D structures can be produced in just one process step due to the high degree of design freedom. The 3D hexagonal braiding technology is used in the field of medical textiles. The special shape of the horn gears and their hexagonal arrangement provides the densest packing of the bobbins on the machine bed. In addition, the lace braiding mechanism allows two bobbins to occupy the position between two horn gears, maximizing the number of bobbins. One of the main applications is the near-net-shape production of tubular structures, such as complex stent structures. Three-dimensional braiding offers many advantages compared to 2D braiding, e.g., production of complex three-dimensional geometries in one process step, connection of braided layers, production of cross-section changes and ramifications, and local reinforcement of technical textiles without additional process steps. In the following review, the latest developments in 3D braiding, the machine development of 3D braiding machines, as well as software and simulation developments are presented. In addition, various applications in the fields of lightweight construction and medical textiles are introduced.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles1020008
Authors: Benjamin Barthod-Malat Cédric Cochrane François Boussu
The performance of bulletproof vests is mainly based on the energy absorption capacity of the flexible fibrous reinforcements. To understand the in situ behaviour of these textile structures during a ballistic impact, we find the use of sensor yarns integrated into these fibrous reinforcements to be a non-invasive and reliable solution. Measurements of the dynamic deformation of the sensor yarns will provide a new and useful source of information. The design and manufacturing stages of a sensor yarn, made with the same structural yarns of the fabric, are detailed successively. Then, different batches of sensor yarns were designed, and electromechanical tensile tests were performed in quasi-static mode. These experiments provide encouraging results for the measurement of the deformation of a textile structure subject to a dynamic impact.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles1020007
Authors: Daria Poshina Issei Otsuka
Recent developments in electrospinning technology have enabled the commercial-scale production of nonwoven fabrics from synthetic and natural polymers. Since the early 2000s, polysaccharides and their derivatives have been recognized as promising raw materials for electrospinning, and their electrospun textiles have attracted increasing attention for their diverse potential applications. In particular, their biomedical applications have been spotlighted thanks to their “green” aspects, e.g., abundance in nature, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. This review focuses on three main research topics in the biomedical applications of electrospun polysaccharidic textiles: (i) delivery of therapeutic molecules, (ii) tissue engineering, and (iii) wound healing, and discusses recent progress and prospects.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles1010006
Authors: Coline Roiron Eric Lainé Jean-Claude Grandidier Nicolas Garois Cathie Vix-Guterl
Since the 1970s and 1980s, a major effort has been made to study UHMWPE (Ultra-High Molecular Weight PolyEthylene) fibers with remarkable mechanical properties, based on a basic polymer such as PE (PolyEthylene). These performances are above all associated with a very strong alignment of the molecules and the microfibrillar structures formed using various processes. However, they vary greatly depending on many parameters, and particularly on the draw ratio. Thus, these characteristics have been extensively analyzed by dynamic, static tensile, and creep tests, and are predominantly viscoelastic. The behavior appears to be associated with physical considerations and with the characteristic orthorhombic-hexagonal solid phase transition. The presence of a hexagonal phase is detrimental to the behavior because the chains slide easily relative to each other. Shifting this transition to higher temperatures is a challenge and many factors influence it and the temperature at which it takes place, such as the application of stress or annealing. The objective here is to give an overview of what has been done so far to understand the behavior of UHMWPE yarns. This is important given future numerical modeling work on the dimensioning of structural parts in which these UHMWPE yarns will be reinforcements within composites.
]]>Textiles doi: 10.3390/textiles1010005
Authors: Tufail Hassan Hafsa Jamshaid Rajesh Mishra Muhammad Qamar Khan Michal Petru Martin Tichy Miroslav Muller
Recently, very rapid growth has been observed in the innovations and use of natural-fiber-based materials and composites for acoustic applications due to their environmentally friendly nature, low cost, and good acoustic absorption capability. However, there are still challenges for researchers to improve the mechanical and acoustic properties of natural fiber composites. In contrast, synthetic fiber-based composites have good mechanical properties and can be used in a wide range of structural and automotive applications. This review aims to provide a short overview of the different factors that affect the acoustic properties of natural-fiber-based materials and composites. The various factors that influence acoustic performance are fiber type, fineness, length, orientation, density, volume fraction in the composite, thickness, level of compression, and design. The details of various factors affecting the acoustic behavior of the fiber-based composites are described. Natural-fiber-based composites exhibit relatively good sound absorption capability due to their porous structure. Surface modification by alkali treatment can enhance the sound absorption performance. These materials can be used in buildings and interiors for efficient sound insulation.
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