Lecture 4: Sustainability in Textiles.

In our fourth and final lecture of the series, Ros Hibbert discussed sustainability issues relating to the materials industry, minimising waste and life-cycle thinking.

Sustainable Textiles: "Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" - UN 1987 Brudland Commission report.

The bottom line here is that interconnectivity needs to be more widely realised,  the design world are beginning to take responsibility, but is that enough? What happens in one part of the world affects another. This is where considerate design comes in; the consideration of the entire life cycle of textile/fashion products.

The Current Environment:
-Retailers are placing larger pressure on manufacturers and suppliers to reduce costs to meet the consumer demands for cheaper prices. 

-Seeing a shift in trade patterns, manufacturers then try to produce a greater number of style variations in smaller quantities. The retail giant Zara are a classic example of a company that produces deft changes and quick turnarounds of collections.

-Corporal social responsibilities are being added to the factors by which companies are judged.

-Product styles are quickly becoming obsolete due to the disposable, throw away culture that we live in; styles are constantly changing with new fashions to replace the old.

"Up to 90% of a product's environmental impact is decided at the design stage."- The Design Council

-Industrial processes and textile design use chemicals heavily in fabric manufacturing and fabric finishing that can be very detrimental to the environment made worse by the fact that it is in conjunction with the extremely high water usage in textile production.

-Monitoring of the supply change is gradually improving, but transparency in this area is difficult in countries that outsource their fabrics.

-Energy and water are used extensively throughout textile production. Intensive cotton agriculture, polyester processing and garment aftercare processes are all very high, and each have a negative effect on the environment.

Environmentally Friendlier Production Alternatives:

-It is possible to reduce the amount of waste that textile production creates by creating seamless products, knitwear and accessories and through 3D printing.

-Using natural dyes, such as vegetable and plant dyes, to colour fibres and textiles. These dyes are recently becoming explored much more in the hopes of reducing the use of chemical dyes in production.

-There are also investigations into building colour into natural fibres, by feeding silkworms coloured powders to create luminescent colours in the silk. Akin to feeding flamingos food that makes them pinker.

-Using new raw materials: Inego is the first melt processable, naturally based polymer. It is produced from a regenerable resource and is biodegradable, offering a sustainable life cycle. It also has built in UV protection and elasticity.

-Spider silk, as has been mentioned in my previous lecture notes, is a potential new fibre with the dragline silk produced by the Golden Orb-Weaving spider can be up to 5x stronger than steel in comparison.

-Bio Processing, as mentioned in an earlier post about Carole Colette's Bio Lace, which is a manufacturing process for textiles that uses living technology. Biomimicry functions are also being explored in an attempt to create evolvable,, adaptive textiles with zero waste.

-Waste reduction saves money, yarn, dyes, chemicals and can reduce production time.

Changes to our garment care routines is another way we can help to reduce our water usage; laundering clothes less frequently, hand-washing, cold water use and line drying are recommended where possible. A 'waterless' washing machine- Xeros- uses 90% less water than the average commercial washing machine and relies on minute nylon beads to absorb stains.

The average lifetime of a garment is approximately 2 years. Innovation in reprocessing textiles, both pre consumer and post consumer waste, is improving assisted by the price rises in raw materials. Discarded polyethylene fishing nets are extremely hazardous to the ocean environment and can take hundreds of years to biodegrade. However, they are now being collected by plastic recyclers and turned into reusable polymers. Although it must be noted that the lack of cost effective disassembly techniques has held up the development of textile reuse.

- The WEAR-2 system, developed in the UK, allows items such as zips, buttons and trims that contaminate recycled material to be removed.

-The Trash to Trend website is both a database for designers to see where textile waste is available, but to also showcase their own second use products.

Composting fabrics is another alternative to final disposal, bearing in mind that the product must be an organic natural fibre containing no chemicals or toxins. Any non biodegradable elements such as metal or synthetic thread will still remain after composting.

Challenges Ahead:

- We are all recycling more than we ever have before, but there is still a growth in our waste creation.

- The second use of a 'down cycled' product is of lower commercial value than the original, as the fibres are always weaker and have a shorter life span than its first incarnation.

- 'Upcycling' limits the quantity that can be created and also produces irregular sizes of fabric, causing designers to be unable to produce large commercial runs.

- Some consider recycling as merely delaying the arrival of a product to landfill. But surely that's the whole point of recycling? To reuse a product as many times as you can before it can be used no more?

In 2012 it was estimated that the world consumed a total of 60 million tons of fibre, which is 12 million tons more than in 2001. This is set to rise as the population increases.

As a student of textile design I always feel really quite guilty when I hear about the damaging effects that the textile industry has on the environment. However, this lecture given me hope that the industry is ever changing and trying to adapt to a more environmentally friendly method of production.  In the spring term I will be given a project brief that focuses primarily in creating textiles through sustainable production methods and I know that I can go into that project inspired to try and find new and exciting ways to produce textiles ethically.

Image Sources:http://www.innovationintextiles.com/sustainability-in-textiles-clothing-why-should-we-care/

http://fashionbombdaily.com/2012/11/13/fashion-discussion-zara-is-the-worlds-largest-fashion-retailer-is-it-your-favorite/

http://www.ecouterre.com/swedish-student-turns-toxic-textile-effluent-into-clean-dye-free-water/polluted-river-dyes/

http://www.pure-tinctoria.com/

http://creationrevolution.com/2012/07/secrets-of-spider-silk/

http://trash-to-trend.myshopify.com/collections/katrina-kaubi/products/starlet

Lecture 3: Finishing and Function of Fabrics.

Our third lecture provided us with lots of information in relation to the different functions and technologies that can be applied to textiles, and also highlighted the possibilities of future functionality in textiles.

In synthetic raw materials, function is frequently added at the polymer stage via micro-encapsulation, which makes these functions very durable. For natural raw materials, function is added at the yarn or fabric production stage where coatings, laminates and prints etc. are applied, which is less durable than if it were added at the polymer stage as it is merely on the surface of the fabric as opposed to being imbedded within it.

Protective Properties: 

-UV Protection. Sunburn prevention can be a big priority when producing contemporary textiles, for example it is mandatory in Australia to have SPF protection in school uniforms and swimwear.  SPF factors can be incorporated into fibres, fabric dyes and laundry detergents. Tighter weaves and heavier weights of fabric offer more protection than loose knits or light fabrics. Polyester, some bast fibres and ceramic good natural protection within them.

-Fire and Spark Resistance. This is imperiteive for the emergency services, military and industrial clothing and nightwear for children. Carpets and upholstery must also be fire resistant. Aramid, glass, carbon and wool fibres all hold some natural resistance, with branded aramid fibres such as Cordura and Kevlar leading the way commercially. Fire resistant finishes can also be applied to natural fibres, as well as using metal coatings to protect. There are also new 'smart' responses such as heat shielding that are becoming more prevalent in the industry.
-Impact Resistance. Impact and abrasion resistance is used within active sportswear and upholstery to help prevent the wear and tear of the fabrics. More importantly it is used in the military and emergency services predominantly in bullet proofing and stab resistant clothing. Stab resistant fabrics use a special coating that allows the fabric to 'heal' itself to prevent the wearer from coming to harm.

Weather Proofing: This is expected in everyday clothing and essential for outdoor sports clothing and equipment. Intelligent solutions and nano-technology play a part, for example the brand Gore-tex create laminates that are lightweight and breathable, yet still remain waterproof. 100% cotton and pure wool can be naturally waterproof. 'Ventile' is a 100% cotton fabric dating back to WW2 and was created to reduce soldiers losing their lives due to the harsh weather conditions. It was made from long staple cotton fibres in a very tight plain weave construction.

Moisture Management: Engineered polyester fibres such as Coolmax and layered membrane protection is designed to keep skin dry and comfortable and is used in sportswear, underwear, socks/shoes, bed linen and sports equipment. It is engineered to draw moisture away from the skin so it can evaporate more easily over a wider surface area.

Temperature Regulation: Fabrics created for NASA such as 'Airvantage' use air chambers within the garment to regulate the temperature of the wearer, as these fabrics are so expensive to produce there are no plans to release this to a commercial market. However cooling jackets using 'Aerogel' take inspiration from astronauts clothing using phase change technology developed for aerospace, which can now be used in sportswear, workwear and bedding. It works by using paraffin wax which is embedded in the textile fibres, when the wearer becomes too warm the wax will melt slightly to absorb the heat and regulate the temperature.

Buoyancy and Inflatables: Air trapping areas can be integrated into garments for sailing and riding and most well recognisable in life vests, inflatable rafts and buoyancy aids. These can be automatically activated by sudden movements and impact, for instance the air bags in a car, to aid human life.


Antistatic: Static electricity causes minor discomfort at best, and fires and explosions at worse. Adding a mental content to a fabric, or the use of a protective finish reduces the danger of this happening. However there are still some safety issues involved as this can be known to cause other problems such as releasing harmful emissions.

Reflective Textiles: Important for safety at night, accessories for cyclists and young children, sportswear/equipment, on industrial sites and for the emergency services. Embedded glass beads or mini reflector dishes reflect light for up to 200 metres, and even works under water on diving suits/equipment. There are explorations for the use of reflective textiles on car doors at night, for added safety.


Refractive Textiles: A biometric colour shift originally found in the hogberry plant. It is where multiple layers of cells interfere with light waves producing an effect akin to a soap bubble, a rainbow. Morpho butterfly wings were an inspiration for fabrics that show colour via the use of phototronics as seen in the company Tejin's 'Morphotex' fabrics. There is a potential use of refractive textiles in sportswear, as they could potentially show visually changes in response to muscle tension, pressure or heat.

Phosphorence: Fibres trap and store light energy and emit it as a glow. 'Permalight' uses zinc sulphate to do so and is available as a printing ink. Electroluminescence uses trapped phosphor powder which is then excited by an electric current. There is a Marmot jacket that uses electroluminescent panels to illuminate areas of the jacket for safety. Interestingly, certain coloured lights are beneficial to health and are actually used in the medical world.

Chromatic Properties: Certain dyes have the ability to change their colour in response to heat, water or UV light. Fabrics that are used in the military and emergency services and also in wound dressing use this dying technology, these textiles can display a warning for extreme heat, danger or infection. There are also personal products that can indicate hormonal changes in the body, such as underwear that can determine if a woman is ovulating. Which I just find really interesting.


Easy Care: Treatments that assist in keeping a textile clean. Certain nanotechnologies and Teflon treatments impart stain resistant qualities. There is also the use of non-iron easy care in shirting and bed lined textiles which prevents creases to a certain extent.

Comfort and Ease: Lycra and Dow XLA are branded elastic fibres that are used heavily in sportswear and underwear as they provide comfort and the feeling of fluidity with the body. Mechanically crimped yarns from synthetic fibres provide a gentler comfort stretch. This is also important in medical applications as it can assist the blood flow and reduce burn scarring.

Aromatic Agents: Scented textiles release aroma when agitated or warmed. Microencapsulation traps the scented particles, aromatherapy elements can also be used, creating multi-sensory textiles and clothing.

Anti-Bacterial Protection: For fibres that assist in protecting the health of the user. Used within garment production, cosmetics, washing powders, underwear, bedding, footwear, sportswear, catering and medical products. Natural antibacterial functions can be found in silver, tea tree, aloe vera and crustacean shells. Some say that antibacterial textiles could reduce the amount we'd need to launder our clothes, however there is a high possibility that the germs would eventually mutate and therefore become resistant to the antibacterial substance.

Insect Repellence: Fabric treatments can assist in reducing the harmful insects that can live in textiles such as dust mites, particularly in bedding, which can be detrimental to the health of asthma sufferers and those with respiratory problems. This is also important to protect young babies before their immune systems develop as they would very easy pick up allergies and develop childhood asthma.

Catalystic Clothing: A relatively new exploration. Can potentially assist in reducing the harmful effects of air pollution, using nanotechnology that can be applied to the fabric through the laundry process. Effectively when the active agent in the fabric is activated by a catalyst (in this case, air pollution) it will get to work to purify the surrounding air.

Health and Cosmetic Benefits: There are coatings that can be applied to fabrics that are called pollen protection as they have a smooth surface which helps them to shed pollen easily, helping to reduce the effects of hay fever. For a standard t-shirt weighing 200mgs a vitamin C content can be imparted that equals the equivalent of 2 lemons. There are treatments applied to textiles to assist in moisturising skin and delivering active health benefits by trapping moisturising capsules within the fibres. Claims have been made by the likes of Victoria's Secret and Miss Sixty that wearing their moisture enriched underwear can actively reduce the look and feel of cellulite. How much truth lies in these claims I don't know.


Conductivity: This is an essential element in interactive textiles. Conductivity can be imparted by the use of metal fibres/content, or with special coatings and printing ink, depending on the product's use and desired functionality. In conductive gloves fine copper thread in used to complete the electric circuit between skin and screen. Conductive power sources are lightweight and flexible and it is also essential for them to be washable, however solar power elements can be woven into the garment as a back-up power source. Gorix is a branded, carbonised fibre with electrical conductive properties used for heated car sets, motorbike clothing and heated diving suits.

Soft Interfaces: using textiles as a carrier, the development of 'ambient technology' plans to create products for the home that are soft and tactile. Furniture that can 'memorise' personal preferences and then adapt accordingly.

Monitoring and Health: The Lifeshirt can record the wearer's vital signs and record it as data via sensors within the garment. This same technology can be used to also monitor emergency workers. it is also used in sport to monitor training, it allows realtime interaction during activity and also provides direct feedback. Can also be used as personal protection via GPS and garments that can shock an attacker. The GPS technology could also track the location of those with health issues in case they come into danger.

Optical camouflage: is also under development, to create camouflage that has an instinctive chameleon effect. Intelligent camouflage built using nanotechnology have the possible ability to divert light wavelengths, to change light from positive to negative refraction, rendering the object invisible.



Image Sources:
http://www.saftechinc.com/
http://www.embracethechange.com/articles/supplier-info/coolmax-and-climarelle-bedding
http://leslieinvancan.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/l-is-for-life-preserver.html
http://www.fashioningtech.com/profiles/blog/list?user=306sf06eygkoc&month=10&year=2009
http://sites.moca.org/thecurve/category/the-geffen-contemporary-at-moca/page/2/
http://qinglianchen.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/space-of-production.html
http://www.dhgate.com/product/japan-anti-cellulite-bur-fat-slimming-pants/113634694.html
http://silvergroup.asia/blog/remote-patient-monitoring-worth-us8-billion-by-2012/

Lecture 2: Innovative and Experimental Textiles.

Moving onto our second lecture the focus was on innovative and experimental fibre types, and to introduce us to the new materials and technology that are influencing contemporary design and production variations; in the hopes that this will educate us outside of the textile design process that we had become accustomed to.

Non- Traditional Fibre Sources:

Bast Fibres: A natural fibre source. Fibres such as Nettle, Jute and Ramie. These are quite linen-like and can be used for clothing as they can be very soft. Also Hemp, man's oldest cultivated fibre is very versatile as every part of the hemp plant can be used. It can be knitted and woven and turned into denim and it also has a natural strength and built in UV protection.

Leaf Fibres: A minority area, as only a few plants have the necessary atributes for fibre production. However those that are able to be used are from the Agave, Pineapple and Banana plants and can be used to create floorings and interior fabrics.

Bark Cloth:  First developed in Asia, Africa, Indonesia and the Pacific. Made my beating wet strips of the inner bark of trees into sheets, which can then be finished into different items. The production of these fibres has a carbon footprint less than zero. Not suitable for garment production but can be used for accessories.

Seed Fibres: Seed fibres, such as the ones that are taken from the Kapok tree, are fine light and silky fibres that are used predominately for insulation and fibre filling as these fibres are moisture resistant, buoyant, resilient and soft, but are not suitable for spinning. Synthetics have replaced most applications for Kapok fibres and now they are used mainly in life preservers. Coir fibres come from the fruit of the Coconut tree, they are hard wearing and abrasion resistant making them suitable for floor coverings, geotextiles and ropes. They are also a good example of an easily renewable natural fibre.

Peat Fibre: Organic plant remains found in Scandinavian peat bogs. They can be woven and knitted and are used for clothing, blankets, interiors and footwear. They have thermal qualities as well as being naturally antiseptic and antistatic. However there are many environmental issues that come with peat harvesting as many scientists believe that peat growth cannot compete with the rapid harvesting and it has been compared to deforestation in its effects of the environment.

Alginate (Seaweed): Brown seaweed is often blended with cellulose fibres. It has natural healing properties due to it's high iodine content and can be used functionally in medical applications. It is also dissolvable and can be used in devoré and invisible printing techniques.

Metal Fibres: Predominantly Copper, Steel and Aluminium. Metal content fibres have the ability for heat memory and therefore react well to heat. They are conductive, protecting against electromagnetic radiation and are detectable by radar. Some trousers have these metal fibres in the pockets to protect the wearer from mobile phone radiation.

Paper Textiles: Made from renewable resources of pine trees, cotton, rice and abaca (a form of banana plant). They are high strength, light fast, renewable, biodegradable textiles.

Latex: A rubber tree will produce latex for 40 years, which creates enough latex to create 10 pairs of latex gloves per week. Due to the growing problem of skin sensitivity in response to natural latex, a latex substitute can be produced from synthetic materials.

Man-made Synthetics: Such as Polyethylene, PVC, Polypropylene and Polyurethane. They have a high strength and can be heat set. They are used in industrial and sports textiles and also in the medical world as they can be germ resistant. These fibres and products can be recycled.

A spider silk cape.

Bio Fibres:  Biotechnology is gaining much attention in the textile world in recent years in the search to find a way of mass producing fibres in a way that is environmentally friendly. Dextrose from plants can create a fibre with an environmentally acceptable life cycle, such as PLA bio-plastic materials. Starch from maize potatoes and sugar beet can also be used to create within a closed loop cycle. A silk-like fibre can be produced from the casein in milk, therefore a profit can still be made from spoiled/waste milk. Investigations into fabric sources from animals and insects are leading to some very interesting results. Spider silk, for example, is one of the biologically engineered fibres being investigated via genetic modification as an alternative to harvesting silk worm cocoons and is statistically stronger than steel. there are also investigations into creating materials that can think, respond and take action such as Honeybee silk, which is 100x finer than human hair, skin friendly and biodegradable.

Innovative Textiles:

Growing Fabrics: BioCouture work investigates the use of microbes to grow a textile/leather type biomaterial, by fermenting bacteria from a dense layer, instead of chemically exploiting materials. Experiments have been made to harness the power of mycelium/fungi to create fabrics and materials that could potentially replace synthetics. The company Ecovative have 'grown' 3D packaging material from this mycelium/fungi.

High Tec Fibres: Carbon fibre is a fibre containing at least 90% carbon and lightweight material that is very strong. It is a good conductor of heat and power, which can be used for interactive uses such as  'smartphone gloves' that let you control touch screen devices whilst still protecting your hands in cold weather.

Fibre-Optics: Can be used for aesthetic purposes such as co-ordinated colour and pattern changes and also enables response, interaction and increased functionality as it can link with other wireless communications, take wireless broadband internet connections for instance.

Sprayed Fabrics: Fabrican is a creation of a liquid suspension, sprayed by a spray gun/ aerosol can. Fabric is formed by the cross-linking of fibres which create an instant non-woven textile that can be sprayed onto any surface.

Rapid Prototyping: UV beams are used to fuse layers of powdered thermoplastic into a desired shape/ mould. Products are recyclable and leave behind minimal waste. There is no use of needle and thread.

Oversized & Micro-sized Stitches: Playing with they scale and size of the knit to create unusual/inspiring pieces and products. Nano-knitters create unbelievably tiny miniature garments to scale. There can be up to 80 stitches per inch.

Biomimetics: The ability to mimic a living bio system, often coming form developments made by the military. Stomatex products use the principle of a leafs natural ability to perspire and keep dry to create breathable fabrics that can be used in protective clothing and sportswear. Speedo's Fastskin swim suit replicates the surface of shark skin and helps the swimmer move through water more freely. There are also investigations into to Gecko lizard's ability to stick to surfaces that are being developed into fabric constructions. 

Body Scanning: From body scanning, the body form can be used for 3D garment design which would be designed for and tailored to each individual person's body.

Moulded Fabrics: Yarns that are at least 60% synthetic can be moulded around a form and set to create the desired silhouette , with no cutting or sewing required.

Magnetism: Ferromagnetic materials such as iron or nickel. Ferromagnetism can be used to create textiles that can alter the fabric surfaces, often known as magic textiles. These materials can become permanently magnetised. Electronics can also be embedded into the fabric surface.

Zero Waste Cutting: Some garments can be created without any waste fabric being left over whatsoever, by using pattern cutting templates that use up every inch of fabric. However this technique is very difficulty, and impractical in the sense that it limits the range of different garment shapes that can be created, therefore it's use is not widespread in the commercial textile industry.

I found this lecture really interesting, although we were given so much information on fibres and technologies that i didn't know about that my wrist was hurting trying to frantically write as much as I could down. I find the innovative textiles so inspiring and yet so frustrating because I wish I had the means to try them all, but there's some technology there that I doubt I'll ever get my hands on!

References:

• http://www.textileschool.com/articles/359/natural-cellulosic-seed-fibres
• http://www.speedo.co.uk/infoadvice_1/infoadvice/fastskinlzrracerelite2/fastskin3technologiespg.html
• http://www.toolingu.com/definition-560210-86402-ferromagnetic-material.html
• http://www.stomatex.com/faqs.html

Image Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bast_fibre
http://www.nma.gov.au/online_features/cook_forster/objects/poncho-like_garment_tiputa_oz421
http://charliegwillim.wordpress.com/2012/11/04/keireine-canavan-constructed-textiles-291012/
http://ssingh2301.blogspot.co.uk/2011/07/fibres.html
http://arcticstudies.pbworks.com/w/page/13623330/Tundra
http://skin-wound-care.medical-supplies-equipment-company.com/calcium-alginate-dressings-391.htm
http://www.burnertech.co.uk/Products/Metal-Fibre/68/71/
http://kickcanandconkers.blogspot.co.uk/2010/04/shellie-holden.html
http://www.kew.org/plants/rubber.html
http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2012/jan/24/spider-silk-cape-show
http://www.designboom.com/design/suzanne-lee-biocouture-growing-textiles/
http://blog.proporta.com/smartphone-gloves-the-best-winter-accessory/
http://www.psgtechteam.com/telecom.html
http://news.softpedia.com/newsImage/Clothes-in-a-Can-Fabrican-Comes-Out-with-Spray-On-Fabric-2.jpg/
http://www.newmancraneins.com/2012/10/the-benefits-of-rapid-prototyping-in-the-manufacturing-industry/
http://ullaskovjensen.blogspot.co.uk/2012_10_01_archive.html
http://www.industrijski-dizajn.com/inspiracija/njeno-velicanstvo-majka-priroda-nepresusan-izvor-inspiracije/
http://www.ten24.info/?p=725
http://freshome.com/2011/12/13/redifining-the-connection-between-upholstery-and-fabric-olive-chair/
http://www.surfacedesign.org/newsblog/textile-magnetism-an-extraordinary-workshop-experience-with-jennifer-leary
http://bethnaomi22.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/zero-waste-pattern-cutting.html

Lecture 1: What is a Textile?

Textile: 'A flexible material constructed from a network of fibres, natural or synthetic.'

The aim of this lecture was to introduce us to the main commercial fibre types and yarn and fabric manufacturing systems. This lecture broke commercial textiles down into 7 key categories:

Clothing: Probably one of the first things to come to mind when we hear the word 'textile'. The fashion and clothing industry is a huge part of the world of textiles, due to it's aesthetic and consumer nature. However it is important to note that the active sports-wear also falls under this category and is part of a large market in which developments often come from the military sector.

Sportwear inspired collection by ATHELETENIQUE S/S 2012 for RAJO!

Transport: The largest volume use of any technical textile is used in relation to transport, both private and public. It is imperative for these textiles to be strong, durable, soundproof, shockproof, fire resistant, comfortable and light. A car is a good example of this as 60% of the final product is textile.

Interior car fabrics.

Agriculture: Synthetic fabrics are used to warm the soil before planting. Textiles can be used to prolong the growing season and also to deter weeds and insects.

Non-woven crop cover.

Geotextiles: Used in civil engineering, road building, embankments, canals, dams and construction sites. Their function is to strengthen, reinforce, protect, filter and drain. They are also used to prevent coastal decline and to clean up oil spills.

Needle-punched, non-woven polypropylene geotextile.

Medical Textiles: Must be strong, light, durable, sterile, non toxic and biodegradable due to their disposable nature, take hospital gowns for instance. Further examples of medical textiles are wound dressings, knitted heart valves and medical implants.

An example of a knitted biomedical textile.

This is an area of textiles that I had not given much thought to, and I dare say I'm not alone in this, which is absurd when you think about the extent that textiles are used in this industry and how much the medical world have come to rely on them. I suppose it is understandable as it is not a commercial industry, however I would definitely like to research into medical textiles further.

Architecture:  Can be temporary or permanent structures. Fibres must have high tensile strength, be abrasion resistant, inert, UV resistant and pliable.

MYB Textiles + EDO Architecture: The Ghost of Water Row.

Interiors/ Domestic Textiles: Another large commercial industry for textile design.  Curtains, blinds, upholstery, carpets, rugs etc. It is paramount for interior textiles to be UV resistant, flame resistant, stain/dirt resistant and abrasion resistant. Linens are used heavily as interior textiles.

Interior textiles by Timorous Beasties.

Spun yarn: Twisting/Bonding short fibres together.
Filament yarn: Continuos, long fibre.
Non-woven fabrics: Bypass the yarn stage. Defined as a sheet or web structure. They are bonded together by entangling fibre or filaments, mechanically, thermally or chemically. They are used frequently for medical garments as they do not have a long life cycle and can be easily recycled.

Commercial Fibre Sources (natural):

Cotton: Seed hair fibre. Cotton provides around 45% of the world's fibre consumption and is the world's largest non-food crop. Many types of cotton have actually died out as they were not commercially viable. In recent years organic and fair trade cotton has been coming more readily available.

Silk: Protein based animal fibre (the silk worm/moth). Is popular due to it's aesthetics and luxurious quality. Obvious use in the fashion/clothing industry but it is also used heavily in the medical world, cosmetic products, insulation and thermal underwear.




Flax (also known as linseed): fibres from this raw material are known as linens, offers a wide range of uses and products, particularly in the interior textile industry.

Wool: The original high performance fibre, wool has inbuilt thermal qualities, is weatherproof, has UV resistance, fire protection and elasticity.Prices of wool are the highest they have been in around 25 years. 100% machine washable wool has now been made available. Sports wool is a mix of merino wool and polyester. Superfine wool hairs are twice as fine as human hairs and a viscous-like raw material can be produced from the protein found in wool keratin.

Luxury Hair Fibres: Muskox, Opossum, Rabbit, Camel, Vicuna and Cashmere goats all produce luxury fibres. These fibres are very expensive, the most expensive and highly prized in the textile world are obtained from animals living in cold climates. These hollow fibres are excellent insulators. My personal stance, however, is very anti-fur.



Commercial Fibre Sources (man-made):

Polyester: The most used and mass produced man-made fibre as it offers a wide range of functions. Used extensively in the garment industry as it is relatively cheap.  Fibres provides the ability to heat set the fabric, allowing pleats and shapes to be formed and permanently set. These fabrics can also be laser cut and welded.

 Acrylic: An oil based synthetic polymer, which is used in paints and plastics as well as being used in the garment industry as a cheaper alternative to wool. As it is an oil-based fibre, production of acrylics has a detrimental effect on the environment.

Polyamide: Synthetic fibre, known widely as the NYLON brand, also produced from oil. It can be recycled, resists wear and tear and blends well with other fibres. It does not absorb water and is therefore widely used in swimwear.

Stretch Fibres: Comfort, fit, ease or movement and crease recovery are imparted by stretch fibres. Lycra and Low XLA are branded elastic fibres derived from polyurethane. Mechanically crimped yarns from synthetic polyester fibres provide a gentler comfort stretch. Power stretch, for sportswear can assist performance. Stretch fibres also have a use for medical purposes.

Man-made Cellulosics: Produced from natural cellulosic sources of wood, pulp, cotton, linen and bamboo. These textiles are fluid, skin friendly and soft to handle. They have a strong wet strength, high absorbency and provide breathability. The brand Incel produce man-made cellulosics in an environmentally friendly 'closed loop' system. The demand for these fibres is increasing globally as they can be biodegradable.





I found this lecture to be a very informative introduction to the series. I'm not afraid to admit that I often use materials within my own work without even thinking of where it it was made but now I'd like to think that I could make a more informed decision when it comes to textile selection.  It was a welcome crash course into the world of fibres.
What also struck me as interesting was the extent that textile fibres are used in the medical world, in hindsight it's obvious that textiles are a huge part in treating patients but I guess I hadn't properly thought about it until now and I would like to look into it further.

Image Sources:
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