Application of Technical Textile

Application of Technical Textile

Md. Azizul Haque Juel

Student
Department of Textile Engineering
Daffodil International University

Email: azizulhaque230@gmail.com

1. Introduction

The Textile Institute defines technical textiles as the 'textile materials and products manufactured primarily for their technical and performance properties rather than their aesthetic or decorative characteristics.

An exceptional feature of technical textiles is the use of innumerable varities of raw materials, processes, product and application for their production. Some of the materials used for making technical textile such as Metal, like steel; Minerals, like asbestos and glass; Synthetic fibre polymers, like PES, PA, PAN, PP etc. Regenerated fibres like rayon fibre and acetate fibre. Natural fibres like cotton fibre, like cotton fibre, wool fibre etc.

2. Technical Textiles

Technical textiles are textile materials manufactured mainly for their technical performance and functional properties. Technical textiles in various contexts are often referred to as performance textiles or functional textiles or engineered textiles or high-tech textiles.

Use of Technical Textile

2.1. Other terms used:

Ø  Industrial textile

Ø  Functional textile

Ø  Performance textile

Ø  Engineering textile

Ø  Invisible textile

Ø  High-tech textile

2.2. Technical textiles are usually applied in the following 12 main areas

Ø  Agrotech comprises of agriculture, horticulture, aquaculture and forestry.

Ø  Buildtech comprises of building and construction.

Ø  Clothtech comprises of technical components of footwear and clothing.

Ø  Geotech comprises of technical components of geotextiles and civil engineering.

Ø  Hometech comprises of technical components of furniture, household textiles and floor coverings.

Ø  Indutech comprises of filtration, conveying, cleaning and other industrial uses`

Ø  Medtech comprises of medical field and hygiene.

Ø  Mobiltech comprises of automobiles, shipping, railways and aerospace.

Ø  Oekotech comprises of environmental protection.

Ø  Packtech comprises of packaging.

Ø  Protech comprises of personal and property protection.

Ø  Sporttech comprises of sports and leisure

2.3. Applications of technical textiles  

Technical textiles include textiles for automotive applications, medical textiles (e.g., implants), geotextiles (reinforcement of embankments), agro textiles (textiles for crop protection), 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).

Use of technical textiles

2.3.1. Agro textiles

Now much more technical textiles are required for protection, harvesting and storage in agriculture, forestation and fishing. In this category, the consumption of technical textiles, which are developed especially for fish farm equipment and agriculture applications, is increasing rapidly. Also carrying the plants together with the soil in erosion prevention and forestation studies are realized with technical textiles. In greenhouse coatings, acclimatizing textiles replace conventional plastic coatings rapidly.

Agro textiles

2.3.2. Construction textiles

Construction textiles

Today the prevalence of technical textiles in construction applications is not just limited to isolation; various applications have emerged thanks to their flexibility and elasticity. Technical textiles replaced classical filling materials with their stable position between two separate surfaces. Technical textiles are the favorite of construction sector in various regions of the world with their perfect resistance against different climatic conditions. Much more composite materials are used in the recent years, in building applications resistant to earthquake. Similarly, special fibers are added in to the mixture of ready-mixed concrete in order to increase its resistance.

2.3.3. Clothing textiles

Interlinings, paddings, interfacings and such products, which are commonly used in textile for years, are especially the main elements of readymade clothing. Technical textiles in clothing sector are always sold for higher prices than the other products. In this category, in which woven products are extremely used, sportive and military high performance clothes promise well for the future with their high tech product engineering. In the frame of new technologies and changing costs, special clothes that can be worn daily are the new surprises of this category. Another development is the increase of technical textiles use in shoes and leather wear sector with comfort and ventilation purposes.

2.3.4. Geotextiles

The fastest growing product range of the recent period among the others is geotextiles. Despite low product diversity, high consumption speeds up the payback period of the initial investment. Geotextiles, which were only used in the developed regions of the world in the past, now finds their application almost in any parts of the world with the profit and price ratio they offer. The infrastructure investments of developing countries bring higher amount of geotextiles than expected. Geotextiles are increasingly used in the building floors for the purpose of insulation and stability. Each year increasing geotextile requirement makes local productions in the country sensible.

Geotextiles

2.3.5. Decoration textiles

The percentage of technical textiles at homes increased in the last 10 years. From carpet backings to furniture frames, from beds to kitchen and bathroom materials, textile products out of clothing are present. On the other hand, the percentage of synthetic fibers increases in home textiles and furnishings. Especially, the new trend of home textiles market is flame retardant fabrics. New technological products have also taken their places at homes.

2.3.6. Industrial textiles

The most common application of technical textiles is industrial applications. Technical textiles with special structure are always required for the transportation of the material in the plant with a band, classification of the products according to their sizes or in filtering processes, during cleaning and polishing processes. New environment regulations highlighted the filters made of technical textiles almost with limitless application. Technical textiles provide solution not only for dust, but also for liquid, gas and oil filtration.

2.3.7. Food textiles:

In the recent year, the use of technical textiles in food packages increased. Some of these products are also edible textiles. Now easy-clean technical textiles are preferred for the transportation of food in the production environment; and while they are kept in shelves. Also the first examples of protective technical textiles received great attention during the heating, boiling and serving of the food. This is expected to be the fastest growing product group of food textiles since it is a very novel category and offer hygienic benefits.

2.3.8. Cleaning/ cosmetics textiles

The rapid increase of the use of disposable products in cleaning and cosmetic products sector bring the changes in user habits together. That is why, it is seen as a rapidly growing sector parallel to increasing production capacities. Technical textiles completely replaced the nonqualified textile products in home, factory, office and outdoor cleaning products. This group will develop with the new products, which are sensitive to dust and liquids.

2.3.9. Medical/ hygienic Textiles

Generally the market of health and hygiene products grows parallel to world's increasing population.
High standard and complex textiles were always required in medical operations. Unsaturated markets of developing countries, demands more medical textiles. Hygienic textiles market is candidate for development with the new products' becoming wide spread.

Medical/ hygienic Textiles

2.3.10. Transportation textiles

Transportation sector constitutes the most important market for technical textiles in many fields from automobiles to trains, from boats to air crafts. While the past uses were generally for insulation and coating, currently comfort and smartness stand out. Coatings of personal cars and trucks and sailing clothes develops in order to resist better against air conditions and get more technical structure.

2.3.11. Ecological textiles

Although ecological textile products are the fastest diversifying and developing category of the recent years, it has the smallest market share.

Ecological textile category, which includes technical textiles used in environment protection studies, consists of many different products for dust and smoke filtration, prevention of erosion, covering the toxic garbage’s and the control of harmful liquids. Ecological textile products also attract attention with their high profitability in pricing. Due to the fact that the technical textiles in this category get smarter rapidly, the filtration of much different and particular waste that are not included within environment protection standards came up to order.

2.3.12. Packaging textiles

The sacks and bags made of natural fibers such as jute and cotton used for a long time live their place to modern synthetic fibers. Also the types of big bag and FIBS party packages, which are started to used recently, increasing. Technical textiles have begun to show up in low weight packaging processes, heavy load envelopes and food packaging markets. Also the knitted textile products have an increasing use in consumer packages.

2.3.12. Protective textiles

Industrial protective products enter almost in any branch of industry and they are preferred increasingly. From heat resistant gloves to heat or cold resistant clothes, from protection bands to protective materials in the shoes, the products become diverse. The special uses started with waterproofness in umbrellas and sportswear are increasingly used in daily clothes depending on customer demands.

2.3.13. Sports textiles

Preferred by professional sportsmen, the comfortable, reliable and performance supported the sportsmen clothes are now requested by all sportsmen and amateurs. The increase of interest in active sports over the world increases the use of technical textiles in sporting goods.

2.4. Some fields of application for technical textiles

SECTOR	EXAMPLES	MARKETS
Earthworks	Linings, netting, insulation, artificial grass ("geotextiles")	Construction companies for roads, water engineering, soil stabilisation, tunnels and other earthworks
Construction	Insulation and roofing materials ("building textiles")	Building firms, architects
Agriculture	Sun protection for greenhouses, fishing nets ("agrotextiles")	Farming, horticulture and fishing
Transport	Car mats and lining, airbags, fire resistant seat covers and carpets, safety belts	Producers of cars, aeroplanes, boats
Medical and healthcare	Bandages, medical corsetry ("medical textiles")	Hospitals, nursing homes, households
Protection	Safety nets, ribbons and tapes, fire resistant clothing ("protecting textiles")	Industry, public procurement, households
Packaging	Twine and cordage, sacks and bags, tarpaulins ("packing textiles")	Industry, distribution, households
Military and public services	Fire service equipment, bullet-proof jackets, army tents, parachutes, extinguishing blankets, tubes	Military/security, forestry, offshore oil industry
Specialised clothing	Sports, skiing and leisure	Active sports, mountaineering, households
Communications	Optical fibres, image conductor cables	Communication sector
Industry	Filters, drive and conveyer belts, abrasive belts	Engineering, machinery, chemicals, plastics, mining, energy, etc.
Furnishing	Interlaid scrims, braiding, shower curtains, umbrellas, parasols, deck chairs, textile wall papers	Decoration firms, households

3. Technical Textile products

Within the composites industry, woven, knitted braided, non-woven (link) and wound reinforcements produced from glass, carbon fiber and organic polymer materials like aramids are presently accepted as technical textile products.

4. Technical Textile fiber

Almost 90 % of the fibers(link to textile fabric) utilized to make technical textiles belong to the category of conventional fibers and the fibers specially developed to specifically use in technical textiles are not only expensive but often have limited applications.

5. Conclusion

Technical textile is more importance to develop our export economy. Bangladesh is leg behind in technical textiles precuts as neither the government nor the textile industry has made any serious efforts towards synchronizing textile products with emerging needs of our world markets by developing high value added products. Our government and the textile industry keep their focus on conventional textiles, ignoring technical textile and knowledge –based products.