TEXTILES.ORG
Poland’s Textile Research Institute (TRI) has developed new textiles enabled with anti-UV and anti-electromagnetic capacities.
According to a report by Innovation in Textiles, protective clothing developed with the textiles will be used in law enforcement, healthcare, farm work and other professions, as well as in curtains and other products. TRI is currently pursuing projects to introduce its products to the international textile market, according to the institute’s management.
The R&D works are carried out as part of the Envirotex consortium, led by the Polish institute, which has secured more than 3.8 million euros (US $4.1 million) in funding under the European Union’s Innovative Economy operational program. As much as 85 percent of the total amount was provided by the EU, with the remainder covered by Poland.
Citing a story in Poland’s daily business journal Puls Biznesu (Business Pulse), Innovation in Textiles notes that, to date, the TRI has sold licenses for use of the new textiles to two unnamed companies, with numerous other producers having applied for licenses. The institute does not grant exclusive rights to distribute its products, which include nano-textiles, worldwide, according to senior TRI representatives.
In addition to protective textiles, which are enabled with anti-UV and can be used to manufacture a wide range of special clothing for various professions, other innovative solutions developed by the TRI include protective textile screens fitted with anti-electromagnetic capabilities. These products can be used to protect healthcare professionals and patients from the adverse effects of medical devices. Additionally, the screens are enabled to block the electromagnetic field emitted by electrical energy lines and radio communication equipment. Other projects undertaken by the Polish consortium include developing new textile structures, including woven and knitted fabrics, fitted with camouflage properties in visible (VIS) and near infra-red (IR) radiation bands.
The TRI says its fields of research include new textile materials and technologies, application of biotechnological processes in textile engineering, research on textiles resistant to physical and biological factors such as UV and microorganisms, micro- and nanotechnology including bioactive materials, as well as new directions of research on polymer processing and modifications.