A review of photochromism in textiles and its measurement

Photochromism is a light-induced reversible change in colour defined as: ‘A reversible transformation in a chemical species between two forms having different absorption spectra brought about by photo-irradiation.’ This issue of Textile Progress provides a review of photochromism, the different methods for producing photochromic textiles, their properties, the measurement of kinetic colour changes, and their application in photochromic textiles. Photochromism can be utilised in a variety of textile products from everyday clothing to high-technology applications such as protective textiles, medical textiles, geo-textiles and sports textiles. Although photochromic materials have been used since 1960 to cut down the transmission of light through the lenses in sunglasses, there has been limited further development since that time due to technical difficulties not only in the application of photochromic colourants, but also with the measurement of kinetic colour-changing properties. Renewed interest in photochromic textiles has arisen due to improved commercial potential in particular for applications as photochromic nanofibres, in ‘smart’ textiles and in ‘smart’ clothing.     

Nanotechnology – a new route to high-performance functional textiles

The use of nanomaterials- and nanotechnology-based processes is growing at a tremendous rate in all fields of science and technology. Textile industry is also experiencing the benefits of nanotechnology in its diverse field of applications. Textile-based nanoproducts starting from nanocomposite fibers, nanofibers to intelligent high-performance polymeric nanocoatings are getting their way not only in high performance advanced applications but nanoparticles are also successfully being used in conventional textiles to impart new functionality and improved performance. Greater repeatability, reliability and robustness are the main advantages of nanotechnological advancements in textiles. Nanoparticle application during conventional textile processing techniques, such as finishing, coating and dyeing, enhances the product performance manifold and imparts hitherto unachieved functionality. New coating techniques like sol-gel, layer-by-layer, plasma polymerization etc. can develop multi-functionality, intelligence, excellent durability and weather resistance to fabrics. The present paper focuses on the development and potential applications of nanotechnology in developing multifunctional and smart nanocomposite fibers, nanofibers and other new finished and nanocoated textiles. The four main areas of textile chemical processing, namely nanofinishing, nanocoating, nanocomposite coating and nanodyeing, are covered in the first section of this paper and the second section deals with developments in nanocomposite fibers and nanofibers. The influence of nanomaterials in textile finishing and processing to enhance product performance is discussed. Nanocoating is a relatively new technique in the textile field and is currently under research and development. Polymeric nanocomposite coatings, where nanoparticles are dispersed in polymeric media and used for coating applications, are the most promising route to develop multifunctional and intelligent high-performance textiles. Not much research has been done on applying the concept of nanotechnology in dyeing of textiles except a few reports on dye particle size reduction, structural change in fibers or the surface etching of textiles to create nanostructured surfaces. The reduction in water consumption during nanotechnology applications in textile processing has the potential to control the effluent problems of a textile process house. The most researched area to produce multifunctional, smart fibers is the preparation of nanocomposite fibers where the exceptional properties of nanoparticles have been utilized to enhance and impart several functionalities on conventional textile grade fibers. Nanofibers are gaining popularity in some specialized technical applications such as filter fabric, antibacterial patches and chemical protective suits. Nanotechnological advances in these two areas of nanocomposite fibers and nanofibrous forms have also been reviewed.     

Smart Dust: Sci-Fi Applications Enabled by Synthetic Fiber and Textiles Technology

Abstract

In the field of materials design research there is an increasing interest in an amalgamation of the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and maths in order to focus upon smart fiber and textile innovation for human and environmental applications. What may seem sci-fi solutions for a raft of different problems have at the core innovative man-made textiles and technologies, and are becoming the zeitgeist of many international research and development sectors with the promise of as yet unknown applications and commercial opportunities. In 2007 Ohmatex's White Paper on Smart Textiles reported that in 2005 smart and interactive fabrics were worth US$340 million with a compound growth rate of 28.3 percent per year which became US$642 million in 2008 and has continued to rise. Today there is a paradigm shift in research activity due to technical developments in miniaturization at nano-scale, coupled with improved sensor networks and the creation of new composites to enable the creation of smart technologies for integration into soft engineering products for the body and the built environment. These innovations are enabled in many cases by traditional textile design thinking and product development such as the creation of synthetic nano fiber polymers, to incorporate ubiquitous computing into textiles which have immediate applications that include health-monitoring, active insulation, personal communication, environmental sensors, and security. The enhancement of integral nano-innovations such as self-cleaning, water repellence, thermal regulation, “breathability,” and materials that stiffen on impact or change shape are part of the textile future. Smart Dust is in this vanguard area, where the combination of synthetic textile polymer and pervasive and adaptive computing knowledge is emergent and highly technical in relation to applications. Here the objective is to move toward seamless invisible integration of technology, thereby producing products and services which are responsive to the external and human environment and which may ultimately contributing to wellbeing.     

氨基硅油整理法在温敏纺织品制备中的应用

温敏纺织品作为智能纺织品的重要组成部分,可响应环境温度的变化而调节自身的性能,在调温调湿、抗浸储水、生物医用等领域具有良好的应用前景。然而,如何将温敏聚合物高效温和地接枝到纺织品上是温敏纺织品制备过程中的难题。介绍了一种简单易行、普适性强的接枝方法,采用氨基硅油整理法在织物表面引入高活性的反应基团氨基,再通过原子转移自由基聚合(ATRP)技术接枝温敏高分子链。经由氨基硅油整理的棉织物柔顺性提高,水洗稳定性良好,红外和接触角等实验结果均证明温敏性单体N-异丙基丙烯酰胺(NIPAAm)被成功接枝聚合到织物表面,且接枝率高达41.2%。所得织物具有良好的温敏性能,可通过改变温度实现织物表面亲/疏水性的可逆转变。     

Phase change materials,their synthesis and application in textiles—a review

Phase change materials (PCMs) are widely being used in thermal energy storage systems for solar engineering, building materials, heat pumps, spacecraft, and in textile field especially smart and technical textiles. There are large numbers of organic and inorganic PCMs that possess a wide range of melting and solidifying temperature which attracts researcher’s attention for their applications in different fields. This review paper summarizes the investigation and analysis of the available organic and inorganic PCMs, different encapsulating techniques, characterization techniques, incorporation into fiber and pad application on textiles with practical applications in the field of smart textiles.     

纳米智能纺织材料的制备与产品开发

纳米技术与智能纺织材料的结合研制出各种纳米智能纺织品.论述了纳米智能纺织材料的制备途径,综述了国内外纳米自组合超疏水表面、纳米相变材料、纳米形状记忆纺织材料、磁性纳米复合材料、纳米有机导电智能纺织材料的制备方法以及所开发的纺织材料的性能.     

Carbon nanotube and its applications in textile industry – A review

One of the major components of nanotechnology is Carbon nanotube (CNT) that can have a length-to-diameter ratio more than 1,000,000. They are used in several fields in material science, due to their exceptional electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties, which are anisotropic. Different techniques have been developed to produce CNT. They have good potential for applications in various technological areas such as nanoelectronic, biotechnology, material science, polymer, composite, and textile industries. In this paper, recent researches on application of CNT in textile industry are reviewed. Treatment of textiles with CNT leads to the production of a wide variety of conductive textiles with different electrical properties. The wear performances of fabrics apply with CNT to open the potentiality of producing composite materials for conventional and innovative applications, ranging from conventional apparel and sportswear to protective clothing, heating equipment, automotive textiles, building covering, geo-textiles, biomedical textiles, etc.     

纤维基湿敏柔性驱动器的跨尺度构建及其性能

针对目前纤维基人工肌肉普遍存在变形模式单一(主要为一维扭转和伸缩)、刺激条件苛刻、潜在的化学毒性或制造工艺复杂等问题，提出基于纤维聚集态结构及纤维体分级结构的跨尺度处理策略。通过结构设计将普通粘胶纤维制成快速响应、湿驱动的纱线人工肌肉，进一步通过集成不同的纺织技术与拓扑编织结构设计，实现纱线人工肌肉的机械化生产，并将一维纱线肌肉进一步扩展为二维的织物肌肉驱动器。结果表明：所制备的纱线人工肌肉实现了高达1 657 (°)/cm的扭转冲程，所制备的织物肌肉实现了更高维度的螺旋、卷曲、弯曲和扭转等运动。该制备方法无需任何复合系统、复杂的合成加工和组件设计，有利于促进纤维基人工肌肉在智能纺织品等多领域的应用与发展。     

智能纺织品

随着多学科的互相渗透和交叉融合，智能纺织品具有广阔的应用前景。文中介绍了几种智能纺织品，即蓄热调温纺织品、变色纺织品、形状记忆纺织品、光导纤维智能纺织品和信号探测服装的特性和应用。     

Design improvement of flexible textile aluminium-air battery

Abstract

Lately there have been a growing demand for energy sources that are suitable for powering smart textiles. A number of promising prototypes have been developed, many of which address important issues, but only to face new challenges. In this paper we propose a new approach to the development of energy source for smart textiles in order to overcome these challenges. The main feature of the new design is that the electrolyte is separated from the electrodes and is applied only when the cell needs to be activated. This makes shelf-life virtually infinite. We stress that this solution is suitable for specific applications only, outlined in the paper. The main aim of this study is to test viability of such an approach, using only textile materials. The presented electrical characteristics of the new battery should be assessed in this context. The main components of the battery include aluminium anode, air cathode and the shell made from cotton fabric. The paper focuses on the choice of textile-based materials for the anode and the cathode, since non-textile materials were used in these components in the original design. Besides that, the pure metal wire meshes have shown to be prone to oxidation. The new materials should address that issue as well. Electrical characteristics of the new design of the battery are measured, which confirm that there is no loss in battery performance. Next steps for further development of a multicell flexible textile battery, based on the results presented in this study, are outlined at the end of the paper.     

智能纺织品及其在军用装备上的应用

智能纺织品具有感知、响应和反馈等三大要素,是未来纺织服装的发展方向,也是各国军方追求的目标。本文分析了目前典型的几类智能纺织品的技术现状和特点,并探讨了其在军用装备上应用的可能性。     

智能纺织品

阐述了智能纺织品的定义;介绍智能纺织品的分类,如消极智能纺织品、积极智能纺织品和高级智能纺织品;及其应用,如卫生保健服、隔热服装、情感服装、军用保护服、军装、降落伞、媒体播放毯子和运动服装等;回顾了全球智能纺织品的发展。     

基于高分子水凝胶的阻燃织物研究与应用进展

针对纺织品的易燃问题,基于高分子水凝胶三维网络体系的高吸水性,提出了将高分子水凝胶作为新型阻燃材料应用于纺织品领域的思路。阐述了水凝胶作为新型阻燃材料在灭火过程中吸热冷却、稀释气体和隔绝氧气的阻燃机制;结合相关文献探讨了水凝胶与纺织品相结合制备复合阻燃织物的新型整理技术,证明了基于水凝胶的阻燃复合织物可具备优异的阻燃与隔热性能。最后分析了水凝胶作为阻燃材料在纺织品热防护领域存在的挑战及机遇,认为提高水凝胶与织物的结合牢度、开发自愈合-阻燃水凝胶材料和多功能性阻燃水凝胶织物等是未来的研究方向。     

成像技术在纺织品颜色测量中的应用进展

快速、准确、高效的纺织品颜色测量方法一直是纺织领域的研究热点,成像技术在纺织品颜色测量中的应用有较好的研究前景。为此,介绍了光电积分法和分光光度法的特点及其用于纺织品颜色测量存在的局限性。阐述了成像技术中数码摄像法、多光谱成像法、高光谱成像法的成像特点,分析了相机颜色特征化、光谱重建算法、图像分割法等对纺织品颜色测量的影响,并对不同成像技术在纺织品颜色测量应用中的研究现状进行总结。最后从纺织品颜色特点、纺织品颜色测量要求以及高光谱成像技术的优点等角度,展望了高光谱成像技术用于未来纺织品颜色测量的发展方向。     

织物显示器件的研究进展

显示器件是电子设备不可或缺的人机交互平台，其结构朝着轻量化、柔性化、集成化方向发展。为了实现显示功能与织物的集成，同时保持织物的柔软、透气导湿、适应复杂形变等特性，围绕与织物结构有效匹配的发光材料和器件设计，综述了织物显示器件领域的发展，阐述了被应用于织物显示的发光材料及其工作原理，总结了平面、纤维和经纬交织3种织物显示器件的结构，讨论了不同材料和结构对织物显示器件的发光和显示性能、柔性、稳定性的影响，最后展望了织物显示技术的发展方向，以期为纺织和显示领域交叉融合发展提供理论和应用参考。     

微胶囊技术在蓄热调温纺织品中的应用

本文简要介绍了微胶囊技术的发展概况 ,叙述了蓄热微胶囊技术在新型智能纺织品———蓄热调温纤维、织物和泡沫方面的应用。蓄热调温纺织品将对改善人类的穿着舒适性产生一定的影响     

A roadmap on smart textiles

Though industrial exploitation of smart textile systems is still in its infancy, the technological implementation is increasing. This is the result of substantial research and development investments directed towards this emerging field. In order to stimulate the progress in smart textiles, emerging developments need to be identified and selectively strengthened. Hence, this issue reports on a three-dimensional roadmap on smart textiles. It aims at contributing to set future actions in research, education and technology development. Research activities and technological developments are mapped, barriers and drivers of technological, strategic and societal and economical origins are identified. Finally, recommendations are phrased on how to overcome barriers and to progress in the field of smart textiles.     

防电磁辐射纺织品功能评价标准

概述了国内外防电磁辐射纺织品的发展状况,以及防电磁辐射纺织品的分类、作用机理和应用等.介绍了防电磁辐射纺织品的功能评价、试验方法和现有的相关标准,并对现有的标准进行了比较分析.     

温敏性水凝胶在智能纺织品开发中的应用

温敏性水凝胶是一种能够对温度做出响应的智能材料,在药物控制释放、分离膜和组织工程支架等领域获得广泛的研究和应用。将温敏性水凝胶聚合物单体在纺织品上接枝或将聚合物溶液涂层在织物上,可以形成智能纺织品。介绍了几种温敏性水凝胶在智能纺织品开发中的应用实例,如智能透气可呼吸纺织品、药物控制释放纺织品、智能伤口敷料、智能潜水服、智能抗浸服、智能调温运动纺织品等,并阐述了温敏性水凝胶在其它智能纺织品上的应用前景。     

21世纪纺织品的发展趋势

高新技术纺织品是21世纪纺织品发展的必然趋势。文中介绍了环保性纺织品、功能性纺织品、卫生保健性纺织品、智能性纺织品的开发和应用情况。指出为了有序、持续发展高新技术纺织品必须做好相应的标准制定及检测认证工作。