Smart Fibres
Environmental Concerns
The future seems to offer boundless promise for the world of textiles. But enthusiasm about this potential should be tempered by the awareness that sometimes good technology can turn bad or have unforeseen consequences. At the end of Man in the White Suit, Sir Alec Guinness, glowing like a firefly, is hounded through the dark alleys of some grim northern milltown by a baying mob of workers whose jobs are threatened by the new technology. Eventually he gets bailed up in a doorway. As the crowd advances, his suit suddenly begins to dissolve. Whether it's Guiness's sweat that's the problem isn't apparent, but whatever, the chemical structure of the fibre is obviously flawed and the mob, sensing this, rips the suit to pieces.
In November, the US Environmental Protection Agency decided to regulate consumer items made with nanoparticles of silver, because of fears about unanticipated environmental risks. Besides textiles such as bandages and shoe liners, tiny particles of bacteria-killing silver are used in a range of other products including food-storage containers, air fresheners, and washing machines; environmentalists fear the growing amounts of nanosilver washed down drains may be killing beneficial bacteria and aquatic organisms and pose risks to human health. The development of futuristic textiles must, like any other technological project be carried out with all the possible social and environmental consequences in mind.
In early January 2007 State-owned science company AgResearch became the official owner of Lincoln-based Canesis Network's research and development assets which focus on wool and other innovative textiles.
AgResearch is forging a commercial direction for its new Textiles Group, aiming for high fashion garments and warm carpet applications for manufacturers. The textiles unit was working on confidential product development including a new form of protective but breathable outer wear for one apparel maker. General manager Dr Robert Finch said, "That sort of research and development work by around 70 staff would ultimately reward the wool producer at the farm gate."
