Research

Researchers at the University of Bayreuth in Germany have presented novel electrospun nonwovens that exhibit an unusual combination of high electrical conductivity and extremely low thermal conductivity. The nonwovens are being described as a breakthrough in materials research.

Wearable assistive technology just got a boost as scientists develop the world’s first fibre pumps that can be sewn directly into textiles and clothing.

In a discovery that could have implications for countries with poor water treatment technologies and combat widespread problem of toxic dye discharge from textiles industry, a breakthrough new method can easily purify contaminated water using a cellulose-based material.

Korean scientists are working to build multi-scale facilities for the chemical recycling of clothing waste, especially polyester, which can then be used as clean feedstock as the sorting method eliminates most organic impurities including intractable dyes.

Recycling a fabric’s component materials could soon be a reality as researchers have found a way to separate blended cotton and polyester fabric using enzymes.

Research at the Nottingham Trent University has come up with an innovative e-textile which can harness 400 milliwatts of electrical energy from the sun. It's enough to charge a basic mobile phone or smartwatch.

Graphene, the new promising material, is being used by researchers to make sustainable, washable and comfortable wearable electronic-textiles for personalised health monitoring.

Now, textiles that offer adjustable aesthetics. Work on responsive smart fabrics could help monitor people’s health, improve thermal insulation, and provide new tools for managing room acoustics and interior design.

Vapour-printing clothing fabrics could solve one of the most difficult problems in the quest to create wearable, unobtrusive sensitive sensors: the problem of pressure.

Researchers have found a way to fully integrate technology into fabric, and seamlessly integrate its power source, showing the way forward for textile energy storage devices, creating a flexible wearable supercapacitor patch.