Technical textiles are manufactured primarily for performance or function rather than aesthetics. They use both natural and synthetic fibers and can be woven or non-woven. The document discusses the different types of fibers used in technical textiles such as natural fibers, viscose rayon, polyamides, polyesters, and high performance fibers. It then describes the 12 main categories of technical textiles which include agrotech, buildtech, clothtech, geotech, hometech, indutech, medtech, mobiltech, oekotech, packtech, protech, and sporttech. Examples of applications are given for each category. The document concludes with sections on e-textiles, applications of nanotechnology,

1. CHAPTER FOUR
LECTURE 4 ON
Technical TextilesTechnical Textiles
BAHIR DAR UNIVERSITY (EiTEX)
By: By: Bademaw Abate(Lecturer)

2. What are Technical Textiles?What are Technical Textiles?
Conventional TextilConventional Textileses
• Manufactured primarily
for aesthetic or decorative
purpose
• Fiber (natural or
Technical Textiles
• Manufactured primarily
for performance or
function rather than
aesthetics• Fiber (natural or
synthetic) is usually first
Spun into Yarn and then
Yarn is Woven / Knit into
Fabric
aesthetics
• May be both woven and
non woven, and is made
out of primarily synthetic
and some natural fibers

3. Different fibers which are used in making technical textiles
are as follows:
Natural Fibers.
Viscose rayon
Polyamide and Polyester.Polyamide and Polyester.
Polyolefins
High performance fibers.

4. Natural Fibers
Cotton, flax, jute and sisal
have been used, but their characteristic properties such as relatively
heavy weight, limited resistance to water and microbial/fungal attack
as well as poor flame retardency,makes them not very attractive fibre.
Wool proves far less versatile and economical for most industrialWool proves far less versatile and economical for most industrial
applications, although it is still valued for its insulating and flame
retardency properties.
Silkis mainly used for surgical suture threads.

5. Viscous rayon:
Viscous rayon was used as re-enforcement material
for tyres, drive belts, conveyers, and hoses etc.
Because of its high uniformity, tenacity, modulus and
good temperature resistance and absorbency, this
material is widely used for disposable cleaning and
hygiene products.

6. Polyamide and Polyester
Polyamide and Polyester fiber has high strength, good abrasion resistance,
good elasticity, uniformity, good moisture resistance properties. These are very
suitable for making climbing ropes, parachute fabric and sails.
Polyolefins
Polypropylene fibers because of its low cost, low density, good abrasion andPolypropylene fibers because of its low cost, low density, good abrasion and
moisture resistant properties has gained a big market specially for sacks, bags,
packaging, carpet packing, furniture linings, ropes and netting.
Polypropylene has benefited from a growing appreciation of the important role
that moisture wickening can play in hygiene applications such as cover stock
for diapers.

7. High performance fibers
Apart from the above mentioned conventional fibers, a ran
ge of speciallity fibers are also available such as carbon
fiber, Aramids(meta and para), Phenolic fibre, PBI
polybenzimidazole, HMPE high modulus polyethylene,polybenzimidazole, HMPE high modulus polyethylene,
PTFE Polytetraflouroethylene, PPS polyphenylene
sulphide, PEEK polyethyletherketone.Glass and ceramic
fibers.

8. TYPES OF TECHNICAL TEXTILE
Agrotech: Agriculture, aquaculture and forestry.
Buildtech:Building and construction.
Clothtech:Technical components of footwear and clothing.
Geotech:Geotextiles and civil engineering.
Hometech:Technical components of furniture, household textil
es and floor coverings.
Indutech:Filtration, conveying, cleaning and other industrial.
Medtech:Hygiene and medical.Medtech:Hygiene and medical.
Mobiltech:Automobiles, shipping, railways and aerospace.
Oekotech:Environmental protection.
Packtech:Packaging.
Protech:Personal and property protection.
Sporttech:Sport and leisure.

9. 1. Agrotech1. Agrotech
• Provide protection against frost,
wind, excessive sunlight, hail
Functions
Textiles used in agriculture, horticulture, forestry, farming and fishing
wind, excessive sunlight, hail
• Provide protection against
weeds and pests
• Accelerate plant growth
• Provide optimal ventilation and
temperature regulation
Sunscreens, bird protection nets,
plant nets, harvesting nets, root
ball nets and packing material for
agriculture products.

10. 2.2. BuildtechBuildtech
Concrete reinforcement
Interior construction, partitions
Insulations
Roofing materials
Awnings
Applications
• Strength
• Resilience
• Resistance to degradation by chemicals
and pollutants in the air
Awnings
Canopies
Billboards
Complete textile structures
Wind turbines
Functional Properties

11. 33.. ClothtechClothtech
Functional (and largely hidden) components of clothing and
footwear such as interlinings, sewing thread, insulating fibrefill
and waddings.
It includes the most promising field/future of textiles
“SMART TEXTILES”.
Electronics embedded on garments i.e. wearable electronics.

12. 4.4. GeotechGeotech
• Construction of bridges, dams,
roads, railways and paths as well
as embankments and sub-sea
coastal engineering projects.
Applications As implied from the name Geo
textiles are the textiles which work
in contact with Earth’s basic
elements; soil, rocks, water etc.
• Support, drainage and separation
at or below ground level.
coastal engineering projects.
Functions
Geotextiles to prevent soil erosion due to floods
or other climatic

13. 5.5. HometechHometech
• Household textiles
• Furnishings
• Floor coverings.
• Carpet backings
• Curtain tapes
Applications
• Curtain tapes
• Fiberfill
• Waddings for furniture and mattresses.

14. 6.6. IndutechIndutech
• Separating and purifying
industrial products
• Cleaning gases and effluents
• Transporting materials between
Applications
• Transporting materials between
processes
• Acting as substrates for abrasive
sheets and other coated
products.
Most poisonous gases are discharged into the
atmosphere at very high temperatures.
Common materials
can’t withstand such temperatures without melting.

15. 7.7. MedtechMedtech
Absorbents, Bandages: Plaster of Paris Bandage, orthopedics bandage,
crepe Bandage, etc. Protective eye pads, Adhesive tapes, Wipes, Surgical
gowns, Artificial kidney, Artificial liver, Artificial heart, Mechanical lung
Transplantation Eye lenses

16. Medical Textiles
Medical textiles are related to medical , related health care and hygiene sector.
Medical textiles are combination of strength, flexibility and sometimes moisture
and air permeability; they can be of monofilament, multifilament, woven,
knitted and non woven fabrics.
These materials can be categorized into four areas of application such as:
Nonimplantable materials- wound dressing, bandages, plastersetc.
Extracorporeal devices-Artificial kidney, liver and lungs.
Implantable materials- sutures, vascular grafts, artificialligaments, artificial
joints, etc.
Health care hygiene products- bedding, clothing, surgical gowns, cloth wipes
etc.

17. 8.8. MobiltechMobiltech
Seat covers, seat belts, car carpets, air bags, tyre
cord, composite panels

18. 9. Oekotech
Textiles for environmental protection.
Used effectively against oil spillages in coastal areas or
in open oceans or seas, separates water and oil(otherwise
it is harmful to ecosystem)
Cigarette filters are nonCigarette filters are non
woven textile materials.
These filters filter the tar and
nicotine.

19. 10.10. PacktechPacktech
• Bags
• Sacks
• Flexible Intermediate Bulk
Applications
• Flexible Intermediate Bulk
Carriers (FIBCs)
• wrappings for textile bales
and carpets
• Tea bags and other food and
industrial product
wrappings.

20. 11.11. ProtechProtech
Clothing against heat and flame
Clothing against mechanical impacts
Fire men’s protective clothing
Clothing against cold
Clothing against foul weather
Clothing against chemical substances (gas
liquids, particles)
Clothing against radio active
Bullet proof jackets, helmets and
special boots.
Clothing against radio active
contamination

21. 12.12. SporttechSporttech
A fiber named Cool max
remains cool even at
50oC.
It is used in making track suits for
sportsmen and women.sportsmen and women.

22. E-Textiles
Smart/interactive textiles (SIT) are materials and structures that sense and react
to environmental conditions or stimuli, such as those from mechanical, thermal,
chemical, electrical, magnetic or other sources.
Trigger or
Stimuli
CONTROLLING
The sensors provide a nerve
system to detect signals
Response
or Action
CONTROLLING
The processor analyzes and
evaluates the signals
The actuators act upon the detected
and evaluated signal either directly or
from a central control unit

23. Applications of Nanotechnology In Military
Science:
Military uniforms that change color to match the
environment
Light weight bullet-proof vests

24. Applications of Nanotechnology
• Stain/odor-free clothing & carpet
• Bug-repellant clothing
• Military uniforms that change color to match
the environmentthe environment
• Light weight bullet-proof vests
• Clothing that scans your body for a perfect fit
Etc....

25. Global Positioning System-GPS
Textiles integrated with sensory devices driven by a GPS can
detect a user’s exact location anytime and in any weather.
Interactive electronic textiles with integrated GPS enhance
safety by quickly locating the wearer and allowing the suit to
be heated.be heated.
GPS can provide added safety for firefighters and emergency
personnel by facilitating offsite monitoring of vitals.

26. Warning Signaling
A combination of sensors and small flexible light emitting displays
(FLED) can receive and respond to stimuli from the body, enabling a
warning signal to be displayed or sent.
The sensors can monitor heart rate, respiration, and temperature.
If vital signals were below critical values, a FLED would automatically
display, for example, a flashing red light, and a wireless communication
system could send a distress signal to a remote location.

28. Thank you!