Definition of technical Textiles:
A technical
textile is a textile product manufactured for non-aesthetic purposes, where
function is the primary criterion. Technical textiles include textiles for
automotive applications, medical textiles, geotextiles,
agrotextiles and protective clothing (e.g., heat and radiation protection for
fire fighter clothing, molten metal protection for welders, stab protection and
bulletproof vests, and spacesuits)
Technical Textiles are
usually considered as those produced from specific materials by specific
processes. This is true to some sense but not always. All those fabrics, which
have any technical use, i.e. other than aesthetic appeal and body covering, are
considered Technical Fabrics, despite of their raw material or manufacturing
process. Technical Textiles are known by their end uses. They are usually, but
not always, manufactured by special materials on special machines. You can also
read of the above author’s article about "Application of Technical
Textiles."
Major Classifications of Technical
Textiles:
Technical Textiles are generally classified as:
- › Mobiltech
- › Indutech
- › Medtech
- › Hometech
- › Clothtech
- › Agrotech
- › Buildtech
- › Packtech
- › Sporttech
- › Geotech
- › Protech
- › Oekotech
Some of
the common examples of Technical Textile products are:
Transport textiles
(MobilTech)
These textiles are used in the manufacture of automobiles and aircraft. Carbon
composites are mostly used in the manufacture of aeroplane parts while carbon
fiber is used for making higher end tyres. Nylon gives strength and its
bursting strength being high is used as air bags in cars. High tensile
polyester is used for making air balloons. Its applications are
Transportation textile
- ›Tyre
- ›Belt
- ›Hose reinforcement
- ›Safety belts
- ›Air bags
- ›Composite reinforcements
o Automotive bodies
o Civil and military aircraft
·
Bodies
·
Wings
·
Engine components
- ›Many other uses.
Industrial products and components
(INDUTECH)
Textiles used directly in industrial processes or incorporated into industrial
products. Textiles used for chemical and electrical applications and textiles
related to mechanical engineering. Silk-screen printing, filtration, plasma
screens, propulsion technology, lifting/conveying equipment, sound-proofing
elements, melting processes, roller covers, grinding technology, insulations,
seals & gaskets, fuel cell, Conveyor & Abrasive belts, Reinforcements
for printed circuit boards etc.
Medical and hygiene textiles
(MEDTECH)
these are commonly used in bandages and sutures (stitching the wounds). Not all
the textile fibers can be used here, because their performances depend upon
interaction with the cells and different fluids produced by the body. Sutures
and wound dressings use fibers like silk and other synthetic fibers. Hollow
synthetic fibers are used with nano or very small particles and are used for
the delivery of drugs to any specific part of the body to prevent over dosage.
Cotton, silk polyester, polyamide are also used in medical applications.
Medical Textile
Medical textiles also cover surgical gowns
and drapes. There are two classes of materials: reusables and non-woven.
Reusables are either PES or PES-cotton woven materials or laminates. Also
non-woven materials are used in the operating theater. High performance
non-wovens are usually laminated with a plastic foil in order to provide for
sufficient barrier properties to reduce wound infection. Other examples are
- › Wipes
- › Babies’ diapers (nappies)
- › Adult sanitary and incontinence products
- › Sterilisation packs
Home textiles (HOMETECH)
Textiles used in a domestic environment - interior decoration and furniture, carpeting,
protection against the sun, cushion materials, fireproofing, floor and wall
coverings, textile reinforced structures/fittings.
Home textiles
In the contract market such as for
large area buildings, ships, caravans, busses, fire retardant materials are
used. Fire retardant properties are obtained either through the use of inherent
fire retardant fibers such as modacryl or through the application of a coating
with fire retardant additives (bromide of phosphorus compounds). Other examples
are
- › Bedding
- › Sleeping bags
- › To replace foams in furniture
- › Carpet and furniture backings
- › Curtain header tapes
Clothing components (CLOTHTECH)
Technical textiles for clothing applications especially in the finishing
process where fabric is treated under pressure and high temperature the
technical textile supports the fabric for smooth processing. This is usually
the blend of polyester. Also
- › Sewing threads
- › Interlinings
- › Waddings
- › Insulation
Agriculture, horticulture and
fishing (AGROTECH)
Textiles used in Agriculture are termed as agro textiles. They
are used for crop protection, fertilization, etc. The essential properties
required are strength, elongation, stiffness, and bio-degradation, resistance
to sunlight and resistance to toxic environment. All these properties help with
the growth and harvesting of crops and other foodstuffs. There is a growing
interest in using materials which gradually degrade (biodegradables). Its
products are
Agro textile
- › Nets, ropes, lines
- › Covering, protection
- › Containment applications
- › Drainage and land reclamation
- › Protective clothing for employees
- › Transport textiles for tractors and lorries
- › Conveyor belts, hoses, filters
- › Composite reinforcements
Construction - building and roofing
(BUILDTECH)
Textiles used in construction - concrete reinforcement, façade foundation
systems, interior construction, insulations, proofing materials, air
conditioning, noise prevention, visual protection, protection against the sun,
building safety.
An interesting and aesthetic
appealing application is the use of textile membranes for roof construction.
This area is also referred to as textile architecture. PVC coated high tenacity
PES, teflon coated glass fiber fabrics or silicone coated PES are used for
their low creep properties. Splendid examples of such construction are found in
football stadia, airports and hotels.
- › Construction of buildings, both permanent and
temporary, dams, bridges, tunnels and roads.
- › Tents, marquees and awnings.
- › Architectural membrane
·
Semi-permanent structures
·
Sports stadia, exhibition centres
- › Roofing applications
- › Building and equipment insulation
- › Wall panels, septic tanks and sanitary fittings
- › Glass in bridges
Packaging and containment (PACKTECH)
Packtech includes several flexible packing material made of textile used for
packing various goods for industrial, agricultural, consumer and other goods.
It ranges from polymer based bags used for industrial packing to jute based
sacks used for packaging food grains and packaging used for tea.
- › Wrapping and protection applications
- › Tea and coffee bags
- › Nonwoven insert
- › Knitted net packaging
- › Silos, containers
- › Canvas covers, marquee tents.
Sport and leisure (SPORTTECH)
Sports textile is one of the branch of technical
textile. Now a days sophisticated technology are used in technical textile
to produce sports wear. Textile has done it successfully . Hi-tech textiles in
sport are nothing new.
Sports textile
- Shoes
- › Artificial turf used in sports surfaces
- › Advanced carbon fibre composites
- › Balloon fabrics, parachute and paraglider’s fabrics
and sailcloth
Geotextiles in civil engineering
(GEOTECH)
These are used in reinforcement of embankments or in constructional work. The
fabrics in geo textiles are permeable fabrics and are used with soils having
ability to separate, filter, protect or drain. The application areas include
civil engineering, earth and road construction, dam engineering, soil sealing
and in drainage systems. The fabric used in it must have good strength,
durability, low moisture absorption and thickness. Mostly nonwoven and woven
fabrics are used in it. Synthetic fibers like glass, polypropylene and acrylic
fibers are used to prevent cracking of the concrete, plastic and other building
materials. Polypropylene and polyester are used in geo textiles and dry/liquid
filtration due to their compatibility. Some common examples are
Geotextile
- › Geosynthetics
·
Geotextiles
·
Geogrids
·
Geomembranes
- › Building of railway and road cuttings
- › Embankments with steeper sides
Protective and safety clothing and
textiles (PROTECH)
Protection against heat and radiation for fire fighter clothing, against molten
metals for welders, for bullet proof jackets etc, all these things are obtained
by usage of technical textiles with high performance fibers. In bullet proof
jackets, special fiber aramid are used which have high tenacity, high thermal
resistance and low shrinkage. Glass fiber is also used in fire proof jackets
due to its high strength, chemical and flame resistance. Protective clothing is
also used by the astronauts when they go in space. It was used by the
astronauts when they went on moon, their suits where covered with special
chemicals including lead to protect them from sun heat, their suit not only
made from special fibers but their airship was also lined with special fabric.
It provides protection against
Safety textile
- › Cuts, abrasion, ballistic
- › Stab wounds and explosions, fire & extreme heat
- › Hazardous dust and particles
- › Nuclear, biological and chemical hazards
- › High voltages and static electricity
- › Foul weather, extreme cold and poor visibility
- › Instruments
Ecological protection textiles
(OEKOTECH)
New applications for textiles in environmental protection applications - floor
sealing, erosion protection, air cleaning, prevention of water pollution, water
cleaning, waste treatment/recycling, depositing area construction, product
extraction, domestic water sewerage plants.
Ecological protection textiles
- › Filtration media
- › Erosion protection
- › Sealing of toxic waste
- › Minimising water loss from the land
- › Reducing the need for use of herbicides by providing
mulch to plants
- › Reducing weight in transport and construction
Technical Textiles are usually considered as those produced from specific materials by specific processes. This is true to some sense but not always. All those fabrics, which have any technical use, i.e. other than aesthetic appeal and body covering, are considered Technical Fabrics, despite of their raw material or manufacturing process. Technical Textiles are known by their end uses. They are usually, but not always, manufactured by special materials on special machines. You can also read of the above author’s article about "Application of Technical Textiles."
Major Classifications of Technical Textiles:
Technical Textiles are generally classified as:
Transport textiles (MobilTech)
These textiles are used in the manufacture of automobiles and aircraft. Carbon composites are mostly used in the manufacture of aeroplane parts while carbon fiber is used for making higher end tyres. Nylon gives strength and its bursting strength being high is used as air bags in cars. High tensile polyester is used for making air balloons. Its applications are
|
Transportation textile
|
o Civil and military aircraft
Textiles used directly in industrial processes or incorporated into industrial products. Textiles used for chemical and electrical applications and textiles related to mechanical engineering. Silk-screen printing, filtration, plasma screens, propulsion technology, lifting/conveying equipment, sound-proofing elements, melting processes, roller covers, grinding technology, insulations, seals & gaskets, fuel cell, Conveyor & Abrasive belts, Reinforcements for printed circuit boards etc.
these are commonly used in bandages and sutures (stitching the wounds). Not all the textile fibers can be used here, because their performances depend upon interaction with the cells and different fluids produced by the body. Sutures and wound dressings use fibers like silk and other synthetic fibers. Hollow synthetic fibers are used with nano or very small particles and are used for the delivery of drugs to any specific part of the body to prevent over dosage. Cotton, silk polyester, polyamide are also used in medical applications.
 |
Medical Textile
|
Textiles used in a domestic environment - interior decoration and furniture, carpeting, protection against the sun, cushion materials, fireproofing, floor and wall coverings, textile reinforced structures/fittings.
 |
Home textiles
|
Technical textiles for clothing applications especially in the finishing process where fabric is treated under pressure and high temperature the technical textile supports the fabric for smooth processing. This is usually the blend of polyester. Also
Textiles used in Agriculture are termed as agro textiles. They are used for crop protection, fertilization, etc. The essential properties required are strength, elongation, stiffness, and bio-degradation, resistance to sunlight and resistance to toxic environment. All these properties help with the growth and harvesting of crops and other foodstuffs. There is a growing interest in using materials which gradually degrade (biodegradables). Its products are
|
Agro textile
|
Textiles used in construction - concrete reinforcement, façade foundation systems, interior construction, insulations, proofing materials, air conditioning, noise prevention, visual protection, protection against the sun, building safety.
Packtech includes several flexible packing material made of textile used for packing various goods for industrial, agricultural, consumer and other goods. It ranges from polymer based bags used for industrial packing to jute based sacks used for packaging food grains and packaging used for tea.
Sports textile is one of the branch of technical textile. Now a days sophisticated technology are used in technical textile to produce sports wear. Textile has done it successfully . Hi-tech textiles in sport are nothing new.
| |
Sports textile
|
These are used in reinforcement of embankments or in constructional work. The fabrics in geo textiles are permeable fabrics and are used with soils having ability to separate, filter, protect or drain. The application areas include civil engineering, earth and road construction, dam engineering, soil sealing and in drainage systems. The fabric used in it must have good strength, durability, low moisture absorption and thickness. Mostly nonwoven and woven fabrics are used in it. Synthetic fibers like glass, polypropylene and acrylic fibers are used to prevent cracking of the concrete, plastic and other building materials. Polypropylene and polyester are used in geo textiles and dry/liquid filtration due to their compatibility. Some common examples are
 |
Geotextile
|
Protection against heat and radiation for fire fighter clothing, against molten metals for welders, for bullet proof jackets etc, all these things are obtained by usage of technical textiles with high performance fibers. In bullet proof jackets, special fiber aramid are used which have high tenacity, high thermal resistance and low shrinkage. Glass fiber is also used in fire proof jackets due to its high strength, chemical and flame resistance. Protective clothing is also used by the astronauts when they go in space. It was used by the astronauts when they went on moon, their suits where covered with special chemicals including lead to protect them from sun heat, their suit not only made from special fibers but their airship was also lined with special fabric. It provides protection against
|
Safety textile
|
New applications for textiles in environmental protection applications - floor sealing, erosion protection, air cleaning, prevention of water pollution, water cleaning, waste treatment/recycling, depositing area construction, product extraction, domestic water sewerage plants.
|
Ecological protection textiles
|
