Trends and Developments in Chemicals for the Technical Textile Industry

A major driving force behind the dynamism in technical textiles is innovation, and a key source of this is chemistry. Advances in chemistry are also being made in collaboration with other scientific disciplines. Biotechnology, for example, is helping to meet growing demand for multifunctionality, more effective medical products, environmental compliance and renewable raw materials. Chemists are responding to market pressures for higher performance technical textiles in sectors such as medical and personal care, agriculture, automotive, aerospace and protective apparel. New chemical technologies are also helping to maintain growth in nonwovens and compliance with legislation on health, safety and environmental issues.Some of the major advances in chemicals for technical textiles have been in polymers. In particular, fibres based on biopolymers offer strong growth potential while intelligent or smart polymers based on conductive plastics are being introduced to give fibres inherent semiconductor capabilities. New coatings, laminates and binder systems are also providing higher added value products. Laminates, particularly those with polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), are opening up opportunities for exploiting the properties of different materials in one structure. In nanotechnology innovations are being made in the creation of nonwoven substrates from nanofibres whose surfaces are modified by using chemical or physical techniques. Micro-encapsulation is being used increasingly for the controlled release of substances in fibres and fabrics. New chemical treatments also include plasma technology. Use of the latter eliminates the need for solvents, which are subject to stricter emissions regulations. The reduced use of solvents has also made the curing of textiles using ultra-violet radiation more viable.