Abstract
Innovations allow companies to differentiate their products and become more
competitive. Recent developments in fibres and yarns include a novel
biodegradable linear polylactic acid fibre from Toray which offers excellent
textile performance. Textronics has produced an ingenious composite fibre
which overcomes the difficulty in providing electrical functionality on fibres
that have a curved surface.
In fabrics, a water-repellent swimwear material which "never gets wet" has
been developed by coating polyester with a plastron layer of silicone
nanofilaments. MMI-IPCO' s unitary thermal fabrics provide variable insulation
over different areas of the body, and contain phase change or biomimetic
materials. Cass and Crew have developed a seamless upper-body garment which
enhances a woman' s upper body shape but avoids bulges, while Karen E Jones has
invented a garment which lifts and shapes the lower body. The company myShape
has patented a system which enables the fit of a garment to be tailored
remotely to suit an individual customer, Frank D Bryant has a hood which
rotates with the wearer' s head, and Nike has patented a method for concealing
unsightly drawstrings.
Kimberly-Clark has addressed the problem of inadequate dye exhaustion when
applying direct dyes to cellulose fibres by using a polyvinylamine together
with an anionic polymer to provide a chemical bridge between the dye and the
fibre. The technique also improves the fibre' s wet strength. A sophisticated
printing technique has been developed by Anthony M Vassell to enable multiple
images to be printed on the back or front of garments worn by sports
supporters. Kris T Ziakas has devised an off-beat method for distressing
garments using gunfire.
Other textile treatments include an acrylic from Nano-Tex which renders
synthetic fibres hydrophilic, giving much greater comfort during wear. A
number of treatments for carpets and medical wear have been developed,
including one from Milliken which reduces odours and a novel fluorochemical
dirt-repellent additive from 3M. Milliken has also used fluorochemicals in a
new stain-release technique. Tubular Textile Machinery has a mechanised
cost-saving concept for controlling the quantity of chemicals used in textile
treatments. Trutzschler has invented a device for quantifying debris particles
during fibre manufacture, and Ardmel Automation has an ultrasonic or laser
seaming apparatus for joining fabric panels in waterproof garments without
using sewing thread. A Taiwanese device helps in removing coloured fibre
debris from circular knitting machines when yarn colours are changed.
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