Lesson Ten

Text A. Techno Materials

Text B.

Reading for general understanding

Text a. Techno Material

Techno materials include fibres, textiles, and textile finishes developed for a specific function or appearance. The greatest potential for the future lies in using advances synthetics to promote new aesthentics and methods of garment construction. While most synthetics of the twentieth century were developed to mimic natural fibres, the new synthetics are engineered to be strong and durable even when lightweight, transparent, or elastic. Blending natural fibres with synthetics in new ways to produce “techno-naturals” is aimed at adding to the easthetic and performance advantages of textiles.

Nano-Tex Inside

A clothing niche being explored on many fronts involves the nanoscale improvement of fabrics and fibers. Already consumers are encountering nanotechnology’s influence in the form of Nano-Tex products. Nano-Tex, a California company is adding its labels to four products: Resists Spills, Resists Static, Coolest Comfort, and Repels and Releases Stains. Like the Intel computer chip, Nano-Tex is not visible to consumers or available to them as a separate product. For instance, a jacket with Coolest Comfort wicks moisture away from the wearer.

The Nano-Tex process alters fibres to improve them while at Clemson University P.J.Brown is hoping to create care-free fabrics with a coating instead. The work of his research group focused on the lotus. This plant, which lives in muddy environments, always has clean leaves because the leaves are covered with microscopic bumps that prevent water or dirt from sticking to the surface.

Using silver nanoparticles, the researchers added “bumps” to common fibres and achieved a lotus-like repellent effect. Water and dirt, instead of sticking to the fibers, easily run off. Silver is antibacterial so the treated fibres are odour-resistant too. So, self-cleaning trousers or odour-resistant socks are becoming a reality made out of fibres changed on a nano-level. In the next few years researchers and textile scientists will introduce high-tech textiles to make life simpler, safer, and perhaps a bit more fun.

Vocabulary

to blend v	-	смешивать
a bump n	-	выпуклость
care-free fabrics	-	ткани, не требующие ухода
finish n	-	отделка (ткани)
for example = for instance	-	например
leaves n	-	pl. листья от a leaf – лист
niche n	-	ниша
odour n	-	запах
spills n	-	катышки на ткани
stain n	-	пятно
to treat v	-	обрабатывать
to wick moisture away	-	забирать влагу

Exercise 1. Return to the text “Techno Materials” to read it more attentively and answer the questions.

1. Does the greatest potential for the future lies in using advances of synthetics or natural fibres?

2. Why do researchers blend natural fibres with synthetic in new ways?

3. What have you learnt about Nano-Tex products from the text?

4. Why did Phillip Brown, a textile chemist, and his group focus their work on the lotus?

5. What is the purpose of their work?

6. In what way have they achieved a lotus-like repellent effect?

7. How can high-tech textiles change our life?