SMART CLOTHES

 

“NANO” means dwarfing in Hellenic language. Nano is a measurement. Nanometer is equal to one billionth of meter.

Whatever their religions, nations and races be, the prospering countries are meeting on one common ground; deceleration of population increase. Their population increase rate is almost non-existing. Rich European countries are solving their required population need by including skillful youth of other countries within their body.

They transferred production of cement, rubber, cable and such sectors which contaminate the environment to our countries, before seventies. Then they added textile paint to these sectors that they transferred from their lands. In eighties, they transferred industry branches such as white goods, iron-steel production and shipbuilding which they no longer wanted to produce and which required qualified personnel to countries like us which was close to their countries or to China who ignored environmental problems. In short, Europe was founded on sectors which contaminate the environment, which have high energy consumption and which require many workers. Increased time of life, increased patient care expenses and climate change increased the technological improvements used for treatment of old people regarding tools used for daily life, mainly in medical field.

Global warming caused clothes to become thinner. Then nano technologies became widespread and caused these technologies to enter into human lives fast.

After nineties, there were new applications for textile products such as stain and oil repellency, catching fire harder and being crease-proof. In time nano technologies became used for our clothes and daily life products. Researches about new products that could be applied on clothes for military uniforms and sports technologies gave positive result in short time.

As the result of these researches, especially clothes began to take part in our daily lives. We can categorize these products and clothes made from these products like this.

 

PRODUCTS USED BY SOLDIERS AND SPORTERS

 

• Water and heat resistant tents, clothes that give coolness, warmness feeling which do not show dirt easily and which let the sweat out.
• Anti-bacterial products
• Products that catch fire hard, clothes defined as fireproof especially for firefighters.
• Underclothing made for soldiers and sporters.

 

PRODUCTS PRODUCED BY HOME TEXTILE SECTOR

 

• Pillows, bed linen and bed clothes that have anti-bacterial, stress relieving and treatment properties.
• Filth, water, oil repellent, furnishings and curtain fabrics absorbing bad smell.

 

 

 

 

NEW STAIN AND STAINLESS PRODUCTS

 

Latest developments in stain and stain-resistant products field: All newly developed fluorocarbons include PFOA free – perfluoro alkyl acid less than one in a billion. This measure is below the measurable limits. Nevertheless, it is forbidden by American environment protection agency.

Newly produced stainless systems are based on C 6, and work much smarter than fluorocarbons including C 8 phased PFOA.

 

• Curtain fabrics reflecting the light.
• Curtain fabrics repelling insects and flies.

 

Considering daily clothes, we can categorize them like below;

 

PRODUCTS THAT CAN BE DEFINED AS COMFORTABLE

 

Breathing Fabrics:

This application is especially applied to fabrics that require water repellency and breathing properties such as sporter clothes and military clothes. These fabrics prevent water from entering into fabric and take the sweat produced by body outside.

 

Special Finishing Giving Coolness Feeling:

Includes klitol, squalene, silk protein and erythritol.

 

Special Finishing Giving Warmness Feeling:

 

Includes daisy extract and capsicum solution.

 

• Providing stretching property for clothes without lycra (providing long-lasting permanent flexibility). Elastane-free clothes that tightly-fits the body.
• Products that absorb stain agents dropping on clothes or allow removal by rubbing or removal of stains by first washing.
• Sporter clothes that expel the sweat outside.
• Property of not catching dust and pollen, mentioned for hygienic clothes.
• Training suits that give coolness feeling in summer and warmness feeling during winter.
• Clothes that absorb bad smell in the environment.
• Clothes that hold insects and ticks at the bay.

 

Nano technological products are now applied for clothes produced for sporters. The purpose is increasing the performance of sporters. It was found that a liquid loss equal to %02 of sporter’s body weight lowers the performance of athlete 20 % approximately. It was first applied on bike racers. According to researches it was found that the performance of bicyclers during bike races were directly affected by internal and external temperature level of the clothes they wear.

It can be said that after bicyclers, it is the turn of swimsuits worn by swimmers.

 

 Products Developed for Skin Care

These nano particles are created with materials such as aloe extract, squalene, silk protein, ceramide and collogen peptide. As you know the aloe extract has relaxing, moisturizing, anti-oxidant and skin protection properties. The biggest property of silk protein is having moisturizing and skin softening properties.

Like collogen peptide it fights against effects that cause skin to get older and moisturizes.

Ceramide: This material used for skin care and moisture control re-shapes skin surface and turns into a silky and soft state. It makes skin look younger and smoother.

Squalene is one of the strongest anti-oxidants obtained from olive. It has high level of penetration ability. It prevents drying of skin, it provides liveliness and flexibility.

These particles are in state of sachets in multiple layers, oil and water based phases.

CLOTHES PROTECTING BODY AGAINST EXTERNAL EFFECTS

 

• Most widely known commercial application field of nano technology is providing clothes and fabrics with liquid repellency, oil and stain resistance by using nano particles. Created hydrophobic surface is able to make the water drop flow and automatically makes it go away. We can express this as automatic self-cleaning.
• Hundred millions of people are losing their lives especially in Asia and Africa because of various viruses caused by mosquitoes, flies, ticks and other insects, and mainly because of malaria disease carried by mosquitoes. Thanks to nano particles bound on fabric with nano technology capsule processes, release of mosquito material that prevents human skin from mosquito bites can be controlled. Each year in our country, tens of people lose their lives because of tick bites and thousands of them are rushing to hospitals.
• Pollen-proof clothes, pollens and dust particles are toothed. They stick on clothes easily and never go away. But we will prepare a film layer on fabric thanks to a nano chemical application. In that way pollen and dusts will not stick on fabric, and be easily removed by a light hand move.

 

COMFORTABLE CLOTHES  

 

• Sweat-repellent clothes
• Dust-proof clothes
• Training suits giving warmness in winter
• Training suits giving coolness feeing in summer
• Completely stain-proof products
• Clothes with elasticity (izi-stretching) property

 

 Applications carried out with micro capsules providing stretching property: With this process we can increase elasticity of knitted fabrics 20-25%. Lycra-free fabric obtains elasticity thanks to nano polyurethane among used fibers. It provides fabric with a special touch. We can apply this special finish on lycra fabrics. In this way jumping property of fabric and flexibility is much more increased.

This finish prevents deformation if applied on collars, arms and cuffs of t-shirts and jumpers, and increases usage life of the products. Fabric has massaging effect on the body.

 

Clothes that absorb bad smell:

Special finish removing bad smell: This system works in three different ways. Firstly, it reduces vapor pressure of smells. Then it neutralizes bad smell thanks to its receptor interactivity and stores it. Lastly, environment’s air is renewed with a nice smell at very low concentration which is not very evident.

 

• Clothes whose color never fades, with resistance to sunlight

 

 

CLOTHES PRODUCED WITH VITAMIN BASED NANO CHEMICALS PROVIDING SKIN CARE

 

Clothes with aromatic smells such as rose and lavender.

Vitamin Based Products Providing Skin Care

These capsules are anti-oxidants supporting the immune system and including A,C and E vitamins.

Vitamin C is a basic vitamin we must obtain to protect our body health. This vitamin protects us against toxic minerals. Vitamin E protects youthfulness of our body and is among the most important vitamins to feel young.

Aloevera Microcapsules

Aloevera plant is a rich one in terms of its contents and effects. It moisturizes the skin, makes it reach the natural balance and provides anti-aging effect. It also has anti-inflammatory effect and used for reducing muscle pain.

Body Lotions

These special mixtures created with properties of roses, jasmines, fresh flowers and ylang-ylang plants strengthen the natural balance between the body and mind, and bring the skin to life with moisturizing effect.

Ginseng Microcapsules

Ginseng is the most natural plant known with its regenerative effect. It has properties that reduce stress and muscle pain. It provides body with liveliness. Also it renews the natural immune system.

Lavender Extract Microcapsules

This plant has antiseptic, analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects. It has relaxing and calming properties.

Products That Repair the Irritation Occurring on Top Layer of the Skin

Microcapsules with Lily Smell

It is believed that lily strengthens the memory and helps for a better talking ability.

MEDICAL CLOTHES

 

• Clothes produced with nano products that block ultra-violet light and protects your skin against UV. Skin cancer is quickly spreading because of global warming and thinning of ozone layer. For human health, we need to protect our skin from UV light. Titanium dioxide pigment is a harmless white fine powder. When titanium dioxide is reduced to nanometer dimensions, its physical and chemical properties are changing and it is becoming transparent. We can protect our skin at (UPF) rot level by applying nano particles on fabric surface.
• Each year millions of people are dying because of the bacteria and other contagious diseases. But silver is naturally anti-bacterial and antifungal. When nano-silver particles are applied on fiber and fabric, bacteria such as E. Coli are eliminated.
• Clothes with anti-stress property
• Clothes with Aloevera extract and anti-aging properties.
• Clothes with anti-oxidant property
• Clothes with weight-losing property
• Clothes that can even be worn in desert, which reflect the sunlight (coldblack)

What makes Coldblack technology special is, reducing heat accumulation on the applied product and providing protection against the sunlight at the same time. Cloth is providing thermal comfort and protecting the body against UV lights at the same time. It is stated that products on which this process is applied keeps the body 12 ⁰C cooler , and reflects the sunlight up to 80%.

This process does not cause any appearance change for the product. Coldblack application is applied on products that protects people against sun such as clothes, tents, awnings and umbrellas. The purpose is producing products according to hard climate conditions. Coldblack technology is important especially in terms of keeping body cooler.

Fat burners and weight loss: Fabrics with this application also helps removal of cellulite. Applied material is thermologic fat burner and weight-loss helper. Easily absorbed by the skin. It moisturizes the skin, gives freshness feeling, increases the oxygen in the body therefore strengthens defense system of the body. It contributes to cell renewal. It makes immune system strong. It helps removal of toxins in the body.

 

RESULT

Application used on fiber and painted fabric surfaces to be used for clothing production has these advantages:

• Application process can be carried out with current machine park for wet processes. No new investment is necessary.
• Used nano chemicals are environmentally friendly. Most of them can be disintegrated biologically.
• It reduces usage of environmentally hazardous chemicals to minimum.
• It protects fabric’s breathing ability.

 

Surface application does not change basic properties of the product. Trousers are still trousers, but nano particles allow auto-cleaning for them against filth.

Fabrics to be used for nano technology applications are fabrics made of cotton, linen,  Polyamide, rayon and polyester.

 

Bigness of the market created by clothes such as daily clothes, sportswear and uniforms; home textile fabrics such as curtains, pillows, bed linens and carpets; military uniforms and similar products is expected to be more than a hundred billion dollars in 2015 year.

 

USA, Russia, China and EU countries have invested billions of dollars in these researches. Obtained nano particles are taking part in each field of life.

 

SUGGESTION

 

In my opinion, the biggest reason of the current crisis of textile sector is getting stuck in production of classical products. First generation of industrialists in textile sector was the ones who employed engineers and who respected knowledge. Small and medium sized industrialists with artisan origin that entered into sector after nineties saw their company growth as the result of their own skills instead of conjuncture and continued production of products that require no engineering and research. When our rivals produced the same products with lower prices, sector came to a dead end. Sector’s salvation depends on production of products with different qualities when compared to rivals, R&D and Product Development researches. In this subject my recommendation for companies in the sector will be having projects produced by high level technical people and getting support from TUBITAK-TEYDEB.

 

Ekrem Hayri Peker

Chemical Engineer