What are smart textiles?
Smart textiles can broadly refer to fibers, fabrics and garments that can sense and respond to external stimuli such as temperature, humidity, light, pressure, electronic magnetic fields and other factors.
According to different reactions, they can be divided into three types: passive intelligent textiles, active intelligent textiles, and very intelligent textiles.
Passive smart textiles can only sense external stimuli. Take an insulated jacket as an example. No matter whether the temperature outside is hot or cold, this type of clothing can only maintain its “warmth” function.
Active smart textiles—can not only sense but also respond to external stimuli. Shape memory textiles are the best example.
Very smart textiles—not only can they sense and respond to external stimuli, but they can also automatically adjust to adapt to external stimuli.
1. Intelligent temperature control textiles
Phase change materials are a type of substance that can absorb or release potential heat from the environment by relying on its own reversible phase change within a certain temperature range. Using this characteristic of phase change materials, temperature-regulating textiles with intelligent temperature control and health care properties can be developed.
This type of smart textiles can freely adjust the internal temperature of the textile within a certain temperature range according to changes in the external environment temperature. That is, when the external ambient temperature rises, the phase change material absorbs heat, melts, and stores heat; when the external ambient temperature drops. Phase change materials exothermally condense and release heat to keep the internal temperature of the textile relatively stable. This characteristic makes it have wide application value.
1. Thermal insulation textiles
The heat-generating textile “Solarµtype” jointly developed by Desanto and Unijika in Japan mainly absorbs solar energy to achieve thermal insulation.
Japanese Teijin Company utilizes the near-infrared absorption function of certain quinone organic dyes. After coating the coating on the surface of the fiber, it obtains a near-infrared absorption function. textile.
2. Cool textiles
The “Coolmax” product of DuPont in the United States has four tubes of fibers and the largest amount of fibers formed between them. space to ensure that moisture and heat on the skin surface are quickly conducted to the outer layer of the fiber.
The “Esmo” fiber developed by Japan’s Kuraray Company has good ultraviolet reflection function and absorbs visible light and near-infrared rays The efficiency is low, and the internal temperature of the fabric under sunlight is 2-4°C lower than that of conventional fabrics.
3. Self-regulating textiles
Having self-regulating textiles Two-way temperature adjustment function, it can absorb or release heat energy according to changes in ambient temperature. When the temperature rises, it can absorb heat from the surroundings; when the temperature drops, it can release heat, allowing the wearer to maintain a comfortable temperature.
The most commonly used smart temperature-regulating materials currently are phase change materials (PCMs).
Phase change materials mainly include three categories: inorganic PCMs, organic PCMs and composite PCMs. Among them, inorganic PCMs mainly include crystalline hydrated salts, molten salts, metals or alloys, etc.; organic PCMs mainly include paraffin, acetic acid and other organic substances;
Outlast fiber, which has appeared in the European and American markets in recent years, is one of the representative products. The key to its technology is to place microcapsule-wrapped PCM (polyethylene glycol) inside the fiber, which is then spun or finished. method to achieve automatic temperature adjustment.
What are the inspection and testing methods for international and domestic temperature-controlled textiles?
Warmth retention: JIS L1018 Method A, JIS L1096 Method A,
GB/T 11048 Method A, BS5335-1
Light absorption thermal insulation: JSIF A 036
Cooling feeling: Boken method (contact cold-temperature feeling evaluation value q-max)
2. Shape memory textiles
Shape memory Textiles are materials with shape memory functions that are introduced into textiles through weaving or finishing. Textiles with excellent properties such as shape memory, high deformation recovery, good earthquake resistance and adaptability under external conditions such as temperature, mechanical force, light, pH value, etc.
1. Shape memory alloy textiles
Shape memory alloys have Gold-cadmium alloy, copper-aluminum-nickel alloyWater survival suit. Its function is to prevent water from infiltrating into the suit when the pilot falls into the water, thus extending the survival time until rescuers come to rescue him. Introducing a stimulus-responsive polymer gel layer on the surface of the fiber, and using its characteristic of volume transformation under certain conditions to make anti-immersion clothing fabrics, can significantly increase the time for water to soak into the clothing and improve the chance of survival for those who fall into the water.
3. Insulation smart textiles
a. In the winter of 1998 At the Olympic Games, 200 Swiss athletes and 300 journalists wore Descente’s Mobile thermo ski shirt, which has a built-in heating system to ensure accurate internal temperature control.
b. Japan’s Toyobo Company has highly hydrophilized the polyacrylic acid molecular chain and developed the fiber “Aikesu” with intelligent temperature and humidity regulation. Its moisture absorption capacity is about 3.5 times that of cotton. Compared with natural fibers, “Aikesu” absorbs moisture and releases heat more slowly and can release it evenly, thereby easing the temperature regulation inside clothing and preventing the cold feeling after sweating. Textiles processed from this type of fiber are suitable for making sportswear.
4. Electronic smart textiles
Smart products produced by the American Reebok company Sports shoes can accurately display to the wearer the distance run or walked, the speed of the rhythm and the calories consumed. Future development will be able to measure the wearer’s heart rate and selectively play certain music based on the heartbeat. If necessary, the melody of the music will be adjusted to make the wearer run faster or slow down after listening to the music. .
5. Shape memory smart textiles
2001 Corpo Nove, Italy The company designed and developed a “lazy shirt” that adds nickel, titanium and nylon fibers to the shirt fabric to give it shape memory properties. When the outside temperature is high, the shirt sleeves will automatically roll up from the wrist to the elbow in a few seconds; when the temperature drops, the sleeves can automatically recover.
6. Automatic temperature-regulating smart textiles
Due to special wearing Environment, spacesuits have extremely high requirements in terms of intelligence. NASA has developed gloves that keep pilots’ hands warm and could protect astronauts flying in space from extremely harsh weather conditions.
7. Electronic smart textiles
Produced by Philips A children’s ski clothing with electronic tracking function, the guardian can know the exact location of the child at any time. The golf jacket developed by it has sensors embedded in the sleeves, which can monitor and record the arm swing angle and rhythm of athletes when playing, so as to compare it with the records of champion athletes.
8. Military applications
Nano “stealth” military uniforms
Nano information military uniform
Soldier combat clothing
Intelligent anti-immersion clothing
Astronaut clothing
Military smart tent
Smart parachute
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9. Sports applications
Smart sports shoes
Ski jacket with built-in heating system
Smart golf jacket
Electronic tracking function Children’s ski clothing
10. Application of special protection
Isolation Thermal clothing
Anti-electromagnetic radiation fabric
Impact-resistant intelligent protective fabric</p
