14-12-2012, 06:05 PM
Smart Fabrics & Interactive Clothing
smart textiles suman.pptx (Size: 2.16 MB / Downloads: 79)
Definition
Smart textiles are defined as textiles that can sense and react to environmental conditions or stimuli from mechanical, thermal, chemical, electrical or magnetic sources.
Classifications
Passive Smart Fabrics
Sense environmental conditions or stimulus
Active Smart Fabrics
Actuators and sensors
Central control unit present
Ultra Smart Fabrics
Sense, react and adapt themselves to envt.
Cognition, reasoning and activating capacities
Smart materials used
Thermo regulating material
Shape memory materials
Chromic materials
Luminescent materials
Conductive material
Membranes
Voltaic materials
Thermo regulating material
Paraffin phase change material
Absorbs heat and stores it
Change state to retain heat
Paraffin enclosed into small plastic spheres with diameters of only a few micrometers to prevent dissolution
Provide a thermal balance between the heat generated by the body while engaging in a sport and the heat released into the environment
Shape memory material
Materials stable at two or more temperature states
Different temperature states, they have the potential to assume different shapes
Electro active polymers which can change shape in response to electrical stimuli
Produce substantial change in size or shape and force generation for actuation mechanisms
Luminescent Materials
Emits lights according to external environmental conditions
Photoluminescence: external stimulus is light
Electroluminescence: external stimulus is electricity
Chemioluminescence: external stimulus is a chemical reaction
Triboluminescence: external stimulus is friction
Conductive materials
Two types of materials, the metals and the polymers
High wicking finishes (ink) with a high metallic content that still retains the comfort
Direct use of conductive yarns
Applications are electromagnetic interface (EMI) shielding and conducting
Thermal conduction allows distribution of heat throughout the entire garment or suit
Membranes
Membranes are constituted of polymers and their structure could be made of one or more layers
Used in sportswear for the manufacture of breathable and impermeable clothes
More breathability and extreme water repellence
Lotus effect provides repellence of the aqueous products and also of the oleic product – useful for self cleaning garments
Military textiles
Smart shirt by the Professor Sundaresan Jayaraman
Uses optical fibres to detect bullet wounds
Medical sensing devices that are attached to the body plug into the computerised shirt
Helps to determine who needs immediate attention within the first hour of combat
Types of sensors used can be varied depending on the wearer's needs
Conclusion
Smart textiles were presented as imaginary products and as a non competitive market
Nowadays SFIT are an implanted customer interest and are presented as the future of the textile industry
A lot of scientist are developing new solutions, ideas and concrete products
Some approximations announce a market of 1 billion dollars by 2010 which certainly explains the current passion for these news topics