TEXTILES.ORG
Hot and cold
December 10th, 2013
New technology and materials offer advanced thermal control and protection. For most of us it’s simple enough to dress properly for the weather and our working conditions, but for workers in extreme conditions—both hot and cold—it gets more complex. In a cold environment, layers of sometimes bulky clothing will keep the worker warm, but if […]
Protection from an unseen foe
September 10th, 2013
Because the inherent makeup of textile structures provides an attractive environment for microorganisms, antimicrobial technologies are an important consideration for many textile applications. We live in a world of microbes: most are helpful; some are harmful. Microbes, in fact, outnumber all other species, yet only 3 percent are harmful and only a tiny fraction have […]
Beyond the flak jacket
August 13th, 2013
With today’s high-performance fiber technology, soft body armor offers improved ballistic protection. The technical textiles industry that focuses on ballistic protection has made impressive technological advancements, but as much as the label “bulletproof” is in common use, when used with textiles, it’s simply not accurate. There are no bulletproof fabrics. A better phrase is “soft […]
Carbon fiber: A decades-long phenomenon
July 1st, 2013
High technology products and markets often have long and costly development times, areas usually left to large companies to pursue. Carbon fiber (CF) fabrics and products are such segments. Carbon fiber reinforced composites (CRFP) are replacing steel, aluminum and fiberglass composites in a growing list of product ranges. Because of the steep material prices and […]