Modern Applications of Nanotechnology in Textiles
A.P.S.Sawhney1 and B. Condon
Abstract Nanotechnology (NT) deals with mate-
rials ito 100 nm in length. At the National Nanote-
chnology Initiative (NNI), NT is defined as the
understanding, manipulation, and control of mat-
ter at the above-stated length, such that the physi-
cal, chemical, and biological properties of the
materials (individual atoms, molecules, and bulk
matter) can be engineered, synthesized, and altered
to develop the next generation of improved materi-
als, devices, structures, and systems. NT at the
molecular level can be used to develop desired tex-
tile characteristics, such as high tensile strength,
unique surface structure, soft hand, durability, water
repellency, fire retardancy, antimicrobial properties,
and the like. Indeed, advances in NT have created
enormous opportunities and challenges for the tex-
tile industry, including the cotton industry. The
focus of this paper is to summarize recent applica-
tions of NT as they relate to textile fibers, yarns, and
fabrics.
Key words nanotechnology, fibers, yarns, tex-
tiles, technical fabrics
Although the term nanotechnology (NT) is relatively new,
the underlying technology is old, because the term "sub-
micro" was used in the production of extremely small parti-
cles of polymers and copolymers. Today, the technology
that deals with the science and engineering of materials at
the dimensions of roughly ito 100 nm (1 billion nm = i m)
in length is called NT. At the National Nanotechnology Ini-
tiative (NNI), NT is defined as the understanding, manipu-
lation, and control of matter at the above stated length
scale, such that the physical, chemical, and biological prop-
erties of materials (individual atoms, molecules, and bulk
matter) can be engineered, synthesized, or altered to
develop the next generations of improved materials, devices,
structures, and systems [1]. Although, there is no clear
indication of when and how the term evolved, Professor
Richard Feynman, almost 50 years ago, in a lecture titled
"There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom," [21 demonstrated
that matter at nanometer dimensions can be exploited to
attain considerably improved material properties. Indeed,
Textile Research Journal Vol 78(8) 731-739 DOt 10.1177/0040517508091066
Figures 1 2 appear in color online http//trj.sagepubcom
Agriculture Research Service, United States Department
ofAgriculture Southern Regional Research Center New
Orleans, LA 70124, USA
K.V. Singh
Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering Department,
Miami University, Oxford OH 45056, USA
S.S. Pang and G. Li
Mechanical Engineering Department, Louisiana State
University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
David Hui
Mechanical Engineering Department University of New
Orleans, New Orleans, LA 70148, USA
in the decades following, there have been numerous
advances in NT and its many applications in the textile
industry. Because of its limitless potential in consumer-ori-
ented applications, the textile industry is one of the pre-
mier beneficiaries of advances in NT. Being one of the
largest consumer-supported industries, with significant
impact on a nation's economy, advances in applications of
NT to improve textile properties offer obvious, high eco-
nomic potential for the industry's growth.
It was demonstrated in recent years that NT can be used
to enhance textile attributes, such as fabric softness, durabil-
ity, and breathability, water repellency, fire retardancy, anti-
microbial properties, and the like in fibers, yarns, and
fabrics. In addition to the millions of dollars invested by
the private sector, it is estimated that for the year 2003,
worldwide government funding for research and develop-
Corresponding author: e-mail: ap.singh@ars.usda.gov
www.trj.sagepubcom © 2008 SAGE Publications
Los Angeles, London, New Delhi and Singapore
IY 732 Textile Research Journal 78(8)
( Macro-technolog ." \hcro-technolog
\aeogs
101 10-110 10-4lO 106 10 108 iO 10-10m
Ordinary Fibers Fine denier Fibers Micro Fibers Nano Fibers
Fiber diameters
ment in NT was about $3 billion [ 3 ] It is expected that in
the next decade, enhancement of textile materials through
advances in NT may evolve into a multi-billion dollar
industry with associated economic and ecologic benefits to
the textile consumers and society at large [4]. In this paper,
we compile and summarize modern developments and
applications of NT of textile fibers, yarns, and fabrics, and
provide references that relate information on research
groups and industries that are actively involved in the pro-
duction, preparation, and finishing of improved textile fib-
ers, yarns and fabrics.
Improvements in Fiber/Yarn
Manufacturing by using
Nanotechnology
The properties and performance of textile fibers are essen-
tial to fabric manufacturing and utilization. While it is well-
known that fabrics made of cotton fibers provide desirable
properties, such as high absorbency, breathability, and
softness for wear and comfort, expanded utility of cotton
fabrics in certain classical and especially non-classical
applications is somewhat limited due to the fiber's rela-
tively low strength, less-than-satisfactory durability, easy
creasing, easy soiling, and flammability. On the other hand,
fabrics made with synthetic fibers generally are strong,
crease resistant, antimicrobial, and dirt resistant. However,
they certainly lack the comfort properties of cotton fabrics.
NT induces enticement to develop de novo fibers with the
advantages of both cotton and synthetics.
A wide range of fiber size or thickness can be utilized in
textile processing (Figure 1).
Ordinary and fine-denier textile fibers range from 1 to
100 tLm in diameter and are produced by established dry-
wet-dry, jet melt spinning through spinnerets 1-100 A m in
diameter. Nano-fibers of diameters in the nanometer
range are mostly manufactured by electro-spinning proc-
ess, although there are also other methods. Carbon nano-
tubes [ 5 ] (CNT) provide fibers of ultra-high strength and
performance. It was shown that super-aligned arrays of
CNT provide nano-yarns [6] that exhibit Young's modulus
in the TPa range, tensile strength equaled 200 GPa, elastic
strain up to 5%, and breaking strain of 20%. In electro-
spinning, a charged polymer melt or solution is extruded
Figure 1 Fiber size and associated
manufacturing/processing tech-
nologies.
through sub-micrometer diameter spinnerets to afford fib-
ers on a grounded collector plate subjected to high poten-
tial difference between the spinnerets and the plate. The
process is an established technique to generate fibers of
extremely small diameters and enhanced properties [7-9].
Further enhancement of fiber strength and conductivity is
achieved with heat treatment. The resulting nano-fibers
find applications such as bullet-proof vests and electro-
magnetic wave-tolerant fabrics. However, it should be
mentioned that mechanical properties of textiles rein-
forced by CNT do not necessarily meet the very high levels
of properties of constituent nano-fibers. This is due to the
fact that the transverse surface effects of the reinforced
textiles may not always proportionately contribute to the
latter's mechanical properties, which traditionally are
determined in their linear direction. The growing applica-
tions of nanotechnologies in special-purpose, textile, and
related composites certainly have advantages of transverse
surface characteristics of reinforced materials.
It was discovered that unique composite fibers were
produced from synthetic nano-fibers obtained through an
advanced electro-spinning process, such as the coagula-
tion-based carbon-nano-tube spinning method [10,11].
These composite fibers afford electronic textiles for super
capacitors. During electro-spinning process, nano-yarns,
comprised of Multi-Walled CNT (MWCNT) that consist of
several (usually 7 to 20) concentric cylinders of Single-
Walled CNT, can be produced by simultaneous reduction
of fiber diameter and increase in twist (up to 1000 times) in
the electro-spinning process. These highly twisted yarns
facilitate extra strength, toughness, energy-damping capa-
bility, etc., and thus can be deployed to produce electronic
textiles for supporting multi-functionalities, such as capa-
bility for actuation, energy storage capacity, radio or
microwave absorption, electrostatic discharge protection,
textile heating, or wiring for electronic devices [12]. It is
clear that the current developments in nano-fibers and
nano-yarns will be utilized in producing the next genera-
tion textiles, which would be capable of providing radio or
microwave absorption, electrostatic discharge protection,
textile heating, or wiring for electronic devices of the
twenty-first century.
By changing the surface structures of synthetic fibers,
several diverse fiber functionalities can be obtained for
profitable exploitation of functional fabrics in special
applications. One of the possibilities to develop desired
functionality is by embossing the surface of synthetic fibers
 Modern Applications of Nanotechnotogy in Textiles ARS. Sawhney et a. 733
with nano-structures [13]. Integration of nano-sized antimi-
crobial particles into textile fibers leads to the development
of superior wound dressings. Similarly, by incorporating
ceramic nano-particles into a spinning solution, polyimidoa-
mide fibers can be produced in which Si0 2 nano-particles
are present. Such a "nano-treatment" can also produce anti-
static polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers consisting of electrically
conductive channels, which not only possess antistatic prop-
erties but also have good mechanical properties [14,15].
Chemical modifications of synthetic fibers using nano-par-
tides can enhance the fibers' porosity and absorption prop-
erties, which are useful in producing thermal-resistant and
flame-resistant fabrics. Desirable thermal properties as
well as enhanced fiber tenacity can also be obtained by mod-
ifying the surface of the fibers with other (nano-) matters,
such as diamine (diaminodiphenyl methane), montmorillo-
nite, and silica nano-particles, etc. [16-20]. Specific func-
tionality in fibers can also be achieved by another leading
chemical oxidative deposition technology, which deals with
the deposition of Conducting Electroactive Polymers (CEP),
that is, polyaniline, polypyrrole, polythiophene, and their
derivatives (in nano-form) onto different kinds of synthetic
fibers, resulting in special composite fibers with high ten-
sile strength and good thermal stability [21, 22]. Surface
polymerization of CEP (by Graft copolymerization) of pol-
ymer fibers has a potential to increase the fibers' conductiv-
ity almost 10 times by decreasing their electrical resistivity
[23-25]. These so-called coated polymeric composite fibers
can be used in microwave attenuation, EMI shielding, and
dissipation of static electric charge. They can also be useful
in developing fabrics intended for military applications, for
example., camouflage, stealth protection, and the like
[26,27]. It may be mentioned that the polymer deposition
techniques can be further improved to obtain many other
desirable characteristics of CEP coated textiles.
The development of nano-composites usually contain-
ing 2 to 5% of nano-fibers has been extensively reviewed by
Mondal [28]. In his paper, the basic properties, fabrication
process, and some applications of nano-fibers or nano-
tubes are covered. Some "nano-mechanical" properties of
transverse sections of mature and immature cotton fibers
have also been investigated and the behavior, properties,
and potential applications of these textile micro structures
have been summarized [29-30].
By uniformly dispersing aligned nano-tubes in the poly-
mer matrix, some novel CNT reinforced polymer compos-
ite materials have been developed, which can be used for
developing multifunctional textiles having superior
strength, toughness, lightweight, and high electrical con-
ductivity [31]. By using melt-spinning process, polypropylene/
nano-carbon fiber composites with significantly enhanced
modulus, compressive strength, and dispersion properties
can be produced [32]. The morphology, crystallinity, and
several mechanical properties of non-woven mats contain-
ing nano-structured poly-capro-lactone (PCL) have also
been studied [33]. Through optimal orientation and crys-
tallization of nano-fibers, excellent properties of composite
fibers can be achieved and successfully used for the micro-
filtration applications in the medical field [34]. In another
recent study, it has been shown that by melt extruding, a
range of "nano-additives yarns" of exceptional properties
can be produced [35]. Obviously, such a wide range of
advances towards the enhancement mechanical properties,
surface textures, and fabrication processes of fibers/yarns is
expected to lead to the development of the next generation
of woven and non-woven fabrics for thus far unforeseen
applications.
Progress Towards the Fabric
Finishing by using Nanotechnotogy
Finishing of fabrics made of natural and synthetic fibers to
achieve desirable hand, surface texture, color, and other
special aesthetic and functional properties, has been a pri-
mary focus in textile manufacturing. In the last decade, the
advent of NT has spurred significant developments and
innovations in this field of textile technology. Fabric finish-
ing has taken new routes and demonstrated a great poten-
tial for significant improvements by applications of NT.
The developments in the areas of surface engineering and
fabric finishing have been highlighted in several papers
[36-39]. There are many ways in which the surface proper-
ties of a fabric can be manipulated and enhanced, by
implementing appropriate surface finishing, coating, and/
or altering techniques, using nanotechnology. A few repre-
sentative applications of fabric finishing using NT are sche-
matically displayed in Figure 2.
NT provides plenty of efficient tools and techniques to
produce desirable fabric attributes, mainly by engineering
modifications of the fabric surface. For example, the pre-
vention of fluid wetting towards the development of water-
or stain-resistant fabrics has always been of great concern
in textile manufacturing. The basic principles and theoreti-
cal background of "fluid-fabric" surface interaction are
well described in a recent manuscript by Schrauth et al.
[40]. They have demonstrated that by altering the micro-
and nano-scale surface features on a fabric surface, a more
robust control of wetting behavior can be attained. They
also showed that such an alteration in the fabric's surface
properties is capable of exhibiting the "Lotus-Effect,"
which demonstrates the natural hydrophobic behavior of a
leaf surface. This sort of surface engineering, which is
capable of replicating hydrophobic behavior, can be uti-
lized in developing special chemical finishes for producing
water-and/or stain- resistant fabrics.
In recent years, several attempts have been made by
researchers and industries to utilize similar concepts of
surface-engineered modifications through NT to develop
734 Textile Research Journal 78(8)
UV rays and radiation
Coating of fabrics with
FAI nano-beads used for carrying
desirable molecules
Breathability and
temperature control
Fluid
droplet
Cotton fibers wrapping
Nano-structures to
prevent wetting
due to fluids
certain high-performance fabrics. Most successful develop-
ments in this regard can be attributed to a US-based com-
pany [41], Nano-Tex TM. By using NT, they have developed
several fabric treatments to achieve certain enhanced
fabric attributes, such as superior durability, softness,
tear strength, abrasion resistance, and durable-press!
wrinkle-resistance. In fact, this company is a pioneer in the
development of several fabric coatings and treatments,
which are capable of providing the above-stated high-per-
formance fabric attributes. For example, their trademark
Nano-Pel technology for stain-rcsistance and oil-repellency
treatments utilizes the concept of surface engineering and
develops hydrophobic fabric surfaces that are capable of
repelling liquids and resisting stains, while complementing
the other desirable fabric attributes, such as breathability,
softness, and comfort. Basically, this sort of surface treat-
ment attaches small nano-whiskers, which are nano-struc-
tures, to provide roughness to the fabric surface so that
fluid-surface interaction and consequently fluid penetra-
tion can be avoided and so the treated fabric has perma-
nent water- and stain-resistant properties. The same
company has also developed several other fabric treat-
ments and trademarked technologies [42-49]. Nano Touch
is a trademark for one of their nanotechnologies for treat-
ing a 'core-wrap" type of fabric. In a core-warp yarn or
fabric, a core of usually synthetic fibers is wrapped with
natural fibers, such as cotton. The (nano)-treated core
component of a core-wrap bicomponent fabric provides
high strength, permanent anti-static behavior, and durabil-
ity, while the traditionally-treated wrap component of the
fabric provides desirable softness, comfort, and aesthetic
characteristics.
"Z
0
0 c 0
Stain
core
Figure 2 Fabric finishing for enhan-
Synthetic
ced properties and performance.
fiber core
Nano Care technology is offered to produce wrinkle-
free/resistant and shrink-proof fabrics made of cellulosic
fibers, such as cotton. Nano Diy technology, on the other
hand, provides hydrophilic finishing to synthetic fabrics.
This nano-based finish allows the fabric to whisk away the
contact body's moisture/sweat, which quickly evaporates to
provide comfort to the wearer. This company has also
developed a technology in which Nanobeads are used into
the textile substrate for carrying bioactive or anti-biological
agents, drugs, pharmaceuticals, sun blocks, and textile dyes,
which subsequently can provide desired high performance
attributes and functionalitics to the treated fabrics [50].
Recently, Beringer and Hofer have demonstrated that
by combining the nano-particles of hydroxylapatite, Ti02,
ZnO and Fe 7 03 with other organic and inorganic sub-
stances, the surfaces of the textile fabrics can be apprecia-
bly modified to achieve considerably greater abrasion
resistance, water repellency, ultraviolet (UV) resistance, and
electromagnetic- and infrared-protection properties [51].
For example, the titanium-dioxide nano-particles have
been utilized for UV protection. Similarly, by using nano-
sized silicon dioxide as an additive in coating materials, sig-
nificant improvements in the strength and flame-resistance
of textile fabrics can be achieved [52,53]. For cotton fab-
rics, wrinkle resistance can be developed by using the
nano-engineered cross-linking agents during the fabric fin-
ishing process. Besides the wrinkle resistance, such finish-
ing is also capable of eliminating toxic agents, while
maintaining the desired comfort properties of cotton [54].
It has also been shown that a wide range of so-called func-
tional finishing of fabrics can be obtained by using a micro-
encapsulation technique, which is widely used in the phar-
 Modern Applications of Nanotechnology in Textiles A.P.S. Sawhney et at. 735
Jackets,
gloves,
caps etc.
Electronic
U I
Climate
Control
garments
O
Medical
Fabrics,
Tissue
ngineering
Figure 3 Some representative appli-
cations of NT in textiles.
maceutical industries. This technology enables to carry out
several liquid or solid agents (fragrant, flame-retardant
agents, etc.) that are encapsulated in phase-changing mate-
rials acting as binders (e.g. wax). This technology, for
example, can be used to develop odor-eliminating finishes
of fabrics. Fire-retardant and anti-microbial agents can
also be microencapsulated for advanced fabric finishing
[55,56]. These advances in the application of NT are
expected to further improve fabric finishing for the next
generation of fabrics.
A Few Representative Textile
Products Based on Nanotechnology
Within the last decade, NT-based progress in textile fibers,
yarns, and fabric-finishing have led to the development of
several new and improved textile products (Figure 3).
Numerous references in the literatures are now available,
which highlight the various applications of NT for the tex-
tile industries [57-66]. Throughout history, the textiles
have been used worldwide in a very wide range of con-
sumer applications. Natural fibers, such as cotton, silk, and
wool, along with synthetic fibers, such as polyester and
Active and'\
casual wear Military
dresses & combat
outfit
Camouflage
and tents
Awr I
in textiles ;ear
ii
'9.
Under
garments
fabrics and
Is
D
nylon, continue to be the most widely-used fibers for
apparel manufacturing. Synthetic fibers are mostly suitable
for domestic and industrial applications, such as carpets,
tents, tires, ropes, belts, cleaning cloths, and medical prod-
ucts. Natural and synthetic fibers generally have different
characteristics, which make them ideally suitable mainly
for apparel. Depending on the end-use application, some
of those characteristics may be good, while the others may
not be as good to contribute to the desired performance of
the end product. As stated previously, NT brings the possi-
bility of combining the merits of natural and synthetic fib-
ers, such that advanced fabrics that complement the
desirable attributes of each constituent fiber can be pro-
duced. Towards that end, companies such as Nano-Tex
have already made significant progress in the development
of improved apparel. Their fabric finishing products are
now widely available to the textile apparel industries for
clothing, active wear, casual and business attire, uniforms,
etc. These novel products are now available to the consum-
ers through the worldwide retailers, such as Old Navy,
GAP, Eddie Bauer, and LL. Bean.
Recently, a Swiss company Scholler [67] has also devel-
oped a nano-based technology to produce a new line of
brand name fabrics, such as "Soft-Shells," functional
stretch multi-layer fabrics. The fabrics and the garments
736 Textile Research Journal 78(8)
made there from are capable of dynamic climate control,
which provide optimal balance of comfort, air permeabil-
ity, and wind and water resistance, through their "soft
inner layer" and "tough and durable outer layer." The
technology is being used in the manufacture of apparel for
extreme cold weather conditions and for out-door, moun-
tain sports, ski sports, and various other sportswear appli-
cations. The company has also developed an innovative
Nano-Sphere' finishing treatment of the fabrics, which
provides a self-cleaning feature and resists stains. The
company's Schoeller®-PCM technology offers moisture
management features and provides comfort and protec-
tion at the same time [68,69]. The combination of Nano-
Sphere" finish and Soft-Shell technology is capable of
producing fabrics/garments that repel rain and snow. Sev-
eral fabric and garment manufacturing companies have
utilized these advanced technologies in developing a wide
range of special-purpose apparel. For example, ski-wear
and jackets with 3XDRY® Moisture Management System
by Allsport, extreme performance jacket and pants by
Mammut Mountaineering, cliff pants and jackets by Millet,
and abrasion- and tear-proof footwear that is light, breath-
able, and air permeable is offered by Schoeller®-Kepro-
tec® (material provided by Springboost), and gloves by
Reusch and Swany [70]. Similar lines of products have also
been designed by several other companies. For example,
Germany's Franz-Ziener has introduced ski jackets, which
feature Nano-Tex coatings to make them windproof, water-
proof, and breathable 1711. With the help of advanced fin-
ishing products, UV protection can also be obtained, in
addition to the good durability, good air permeability, and
soft hand feel [72]. Incidentally, the technology of incorpo-
rating NT in textiles is not only limited to the United States
and Europe. In fact, it is now evolving worldwide. The
growth of NT in Asia is also significant. It is expected that
within a few years, thousands of companies worldwide
will be engaged in the production of CNT and nano-fibers
Significant advances are envisioned towards the devel-
opment of military and combat uniforms and apparel,
using NT. One of the largest and perhaps unique research
centers in the world, whose main focus is on the develop-
ment of next generation of materials for soldiers, is the
Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies (ISN) [ 7 ] . This
institution is a consortium of research collaboration among
the US Army, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT), and several industrial organizations. The research
conducted by this consortium is dedicated to developing,
mainly for the military, advanced textile materials and
products by utilizing NT. The main focus is to develop a
variety of textile fabrics and other products/materials that
are lightweight (so that the overall load on soldiers can be
reduced significantly), strong, abrasion/wear resistant,
durable, waterproof, capable of changing color (to improve
camouflage), energy absorbent (bulletproof), temperature
sensitive (for different climate controls), and embeddable
with multipurpose micro-/nano-sensors [75]. In addition,
several antimicrobial textile treatments are currently being
produced that can play very significant roles in protection
against a wide range of physical/chemical/biological threats
[76]. To produce battle-ready smart textiles, several dispa-
rate technologies, such as micro capsulation, biotechnolo-
gies, and information technology, are being utilized [77].
An interesting review, which specifically focuses on poten-
tial developments of textiles that would carry and/or bear
various bioactive compounds, is presented by Breteler et
al. [78]. Advanced nano-fibers of nano-sized particles are
also being developed for efficient applications in wound
dressings [79,80]. Quantum Group Inc., in its recently pat-
ented technology, has shown that the combination of
"nano-fibrils" (0.4-1 nm), produced by electro-spinning
processes with reinforcing, strong fibers, or filaments) can
be used to produce yarns as well as non-woven fabrics that
can be utilized in tissue engineering [81,82]. Otsuka
Kagaku has developed new electro-conductive (nano-)fib-
ers that can be used for protection against radiation emitted
by electronics. Several other technologies for producing fab-
rics to shield from radiation are also being investigated [83].
It may be noted that the above-mentioned nano-based
advances affect the advances of not only military applica-
tions but also the civilian applications, such as those in the
biomedical fields. Development of nano-functional fibers
has been directed to the manufacturing of hygienic fabrics
for undergarments. Several companies are using these new
fibers to develop odor-free clothing, such as socks, stock-
ings, and undergarments, etc. For example, socks contain-
ing nano-particles of silver minimize foot odor [84]. Nano-
Tex is developing a new technology known as "Nano-
Fresh," which is intended to absorb sweat, dry quickly, and
trap odor. Several other high-tech fabrics are being devel-
oped that will remove sweat, repel stains, provide a mas-
sage, and even provide a sensational fragrance. Hanes has
developed some anti-cellulite shaper wear fabrics, which
utilize the micro-encapsulation techniques to modify the
appearance of cellulite.
Nano-based textile composite materials comprise another
promising sector, which is leading the developments of
new materials for engineering applications. Strong graph-
ite nano-fibers have been developed, which can support
large engineering loads and high pressures at room tem-
peratures. A research group in Belgium is exploring the
possibility of developing novel yarns by melt extruding a
range of nano-additives [85]. Research in this sector has
led to a number of significant developments, such as:
a. anti-SARS masks for use by medical personnel [86];
b. acoustic fibers for automotive textiles [87];
c. nano-surfaces suitable for bioactive culture matrices,
textile nano-sensors, and microelectrodes [88,89];
d. wireless sensing devices;
 Modern Applications of NanotechnoLogy in Textiles A.P.S. Sawhney et aL. 737
e. Dyneema® (a high performance polyethylene fiber)
combined with CNT; and
f. electronically, chemically, and/or biologically inte-
grated smart fabrics [90-92].
Recently, USDA researchers have developed a patented
technology for producing cellulose-based nano-compos-
ites, using nano-particles of clay as the nano-filler material
[93]. Cellulose from a variety of very cheap sources, such as
grass, kenaf, cotton fiber, cotton plant material, etc., may
be used. These composites improve the thermal stability
of the cellulose and, therefore, may lead to the develop-
ment of certain flame-retardant end-products, such as
non-wovens, special-purpose papers, filaments, coatings,
etc.
In addition to the development of improved textile fab-
rics and materials, several advances in the area of textile
processing have also been made. For example, the textile
dyeing and finishing processes use dyes and other chemicals
that are expensive and cause a serious environmental con-
cern when after processing the effluents are discharged into
public waterways. Nano-filtration membrane technology
developed in recent years is being aggressively investigated
to try to recover the dyes for economic and environmental
benefits and, at the same time, conserve precious water [94-
97]. Nano-filtration technology consists of a separation
process in which relatively small organic molecules along
with some ionic components are retained by a nano-porous
membrane. These grafted membranes are capable of
removing the dye molecules, so that the dye can be recov-
ered and the processed water can be recycled and reused
[98-101]. A novel, spiral-wound membrane technology also
exists for the treatment of textile effluents, using nano- and
ultra-filtration units [102]. NT is also widely applied in the
developments of pigment particles used for dyeing and
printing of textile fabrics [103]. Recently, in order to mass
produce nano-fibers for textile applications, Nanospider'
technology was invented and patented by the researchers at
Technical University of Liberec (Oldtich Jirsák) [104].
Summary
If the information technology (IT) is the wave of the
present, the nanotechnology (NT) is certainly the wave of
the future. NT has been growing by leaps and bounds in
the last decade. It has numerous applications in almost
every major industry, including textiles. There is a consid-
erable potential for profitable applications of NT in cotton
and other textile industries. Its application can economi-
cally extend the properties, performance, and hence values
of textile processing and products. Predominantly cotton
fabrics may efficiently be made fire retardant, shrink proof,
crease resistant, water and stain resistant, and even water
repellant, while still maintaining the cotton's well admired,
excellent comfort character, and aesthetics. By deploying
NT, ultra-strong, durable, and specific-function-oriented
fabrics can be efficiently produced for a number of end-use
applications, including medical, industrial, military, domes-
tic, apparel, household furnishing, and much more. It is
now conceivable that by combining the optical fibers,
micro mirrors, functional coatings, and electronics, cus-
tomized fabrics and garments can be developed, which will
change their colors as per the consumer's desire and taste.
The textile industry certainly has the biggest customer base
in the world. Therefore, the advances in the customer-ori-
ented products will be the main focus for future NT appli-
cations, and the textile industry is expected to be one of the
main beneficiaries. However, it goes without saying that
there certainly are some limitations and unknown health
risks pertaining to the rapid development and growth of
NT and also their end-use products. For example, it is
extremely difficult and complex to process carbon fibers of
< 200 nm with traditional textile practices and procedures.
Regarding safety of personnel involved in production, con-
version and even use of nano-fibers and their products, we
still do not know of any short-term or long-term (unknown)
health risks, especially the probable risks of pulmonary
(lung) diseases due to the "nano-size" of the particles
involved. The Washington Post recently had raised an alert
to this effect [105].
Acknowledgment
This study was partly supported by the specific cooperative
research grant by the Southern Regional Research Center,
Agriculture Research Service, United States Department
of Agriculture (SRRC-ARS-USDA). This article is an
extension of the underlying research project on size-free
weaving and the research collaboration between the Loui-
siana State University and the Cotton Chemistry and Utili-
zation (CCU) Research Unit of SRRC-ARS-USDA, New
Orleans, Louisiana.
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