NCSU associate professor Sonja Salmon is studying a process for separating blended fabrics into their component fibers so they can be recycled or composted. In order to recycle the components of mixed textiles, researchers there aim to separate them. Enzymes can degrade rayon in this blend (left), leaving clean elastane behind (right). Photo: Sonja Salmon.
Global economy are directly impacted by research and development (R&D). In the case of textiles, including agriculture related to textiles, it provides job opportunities to millions, including an unskilled workforce. Within the textile industry, advanced textiles and chemicals sectors place relatively more emphasis on research. The nature of the industry, size and flexibility, pressure due to competition, and the need for products that relate to health and the environment necessitate continued investment in R&D.
The need for more federal support for textile fundamental and translational research is one problem that our sector has to focus on. Basic and practical research in fibre and related fields has received assistance from the U.S. Department of Defence. U.S. basic and applied research funding agencies like the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) need to support more projects in the fiber field.
It will help the industry choose research fields if it has a basic awareness of the nature and condition oindustrial and federal R&D assistance. According to recent data from the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the United States led the world in research and development (R&D) spending in 2021 with $806 billion, followed by China with $668 billion. The EU-27 spent $474 billion on research and development in 2021. South Korea, Japan, and Germany came in third, fifth, and fourth, respectively.
R&D and industry
The sector benefits greatly from the fact that the majority of federal money in the United States is allocated to development (both process and product). The industrial sector accounts for more than half of all R&D spending in industrialised countries. However, leading nations in the Eastern Hemisphere (Japan, China and South Korea) lead industrial contributions to total R&D, which is over 75 percent.
U.S. and OECD statistics show that developed countries, especially those in the Western Hemisphere, need to increase their R&D contribution. It is necessary to improve workforce development, tax incentives for internal research, and funding for research at higher education institutions.
The Innovation Corps (I-Corps), a special research funding program of the U.S. National Science Foundation, was created to use user feedback, surveys, and discovery processes to bring laboratory research to the market. Customer interaction is crucial for bringing research to market because it helps researchers grasp consumer expectations about pricing and product quality as well as social demands.
In their geographic area, the advanced textiles industry ought to communicate with NSF I-Corps networks. University-based technology will be acquired and transferred to commercial settings as a result of this industry-institute partnership. The I-Corps networks facilitate the rapid exchange of research ideas by bringing together academics, entrepreneurs, community colleges, higher education institutions, and regional business.
The agreement known as “The Chair’s Text” from the most recent meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee in Busan, South Korea, recognises the necessity of taking the necessary steps, such as passing legislation, to limit or outlaw the production of single-use or short-lived plastic products. It also emphasises the need to find substitutes for synthetic materials.
Although no treaty was delivered during the INC-5 summit, it did offer a framework for reaching an agreement. The role of plastics in society and the worries about plastic pollution were acknowledged by the convention’s participants, who also emphasised the necessity of establishing effective procedures for plastic circularity and preventing environmental leaks. The Chair’s Text makes every effort to take environmentalists’ and the plastic industry’s interests into account.
Due to its current heavy reliance on synthetic materials, the advanced textiles industry requires such a balanced strategy. The industry is actively pushing sustainability and using bio-based resources wherever possible. The U.N. Global Plastics Treaty was the topic of a recent webinar hosted by the Association of the Nonwoven Fabrics Industry (INDA), situated in Cary, North Carolina. In that event, Wes Fisher, director of government relations at INDA, said, “There is going to be enhanced demand for natural materials, and at the same time, we may not have enough supply of natural materials overnight.”
The technical textiles industry has made circularity and alternative materials top research goals in light of the global focus on plastics. The program must address a number of issues:
Definitional agreement Alternative sources
1.Utilising synthetics to their full potential with less inputs
2.Developing efficient remediation techniques
3.efficient outreach and education.
Research on sustainability in our business is particularly active in the following areas: bio-based materials, the best use of synthetics and toxin-free chemicals, and sustainable production, including chemistry formulations.
Artificial Intelligence
Similar to sustainability and climate change, which attract international attention, artificial intelligence (AI) also makes headlines. The amount of AI-related Nobel Prizes this year shows how important fundamental research in the disciplines of AI and machine learning is to achieving practical applications. Machine learning has a lot to offer the textile sector, both traditional and modern.
Weather-resistant and protective apparel, as well as protective materials like awnings and shades, are some of the technical textiles industry’s commercially successful goods. Although there is a sense that this subject is oversaturated, industry can advance by comprehending future weather patterns and the necessity of various protection strategies at various geographic regions. By planning for future climate extremes, and the need for various types of clothing in different parts of world, industry can not only develop new products but also expand into new markets and locations.
Exact extrapolation and pattern prediction in short-, mid-, and long-term timeframes can be aided by machine learning techniques based on climate data spanning several years. Planning and securing safety measures will be aided by this type of weather and rainfall data, especially at the agronomy level in the natural fibres industry.
Cotton, for example, is predominantly grown as a rain-fed crop, and hence informed preparation will be valuable towards enhancing the yield. Additionally, stakeholders and policymakers will be confident in such science-based projections. The volatility in the market can be controlled to some extent as the future yield prediction variations can be controlled.
The fashion business is using AI and machine-learning technologies to forecast customer preferences and design requirements for next seasons, which puts the traditional textile industry a few steps ahead of the advanced textiles sector in terms of AI utilisation.
AI and its applications in the textile industry should be actively promoted by industry bodies like as the Advanced Textiles Association (ATA), the Synthetic Yarn and Fabric Association (SYFA), INDA, and the European Disposables and Nonwovens Association (EDANA).
interdisciplinary methods
Multidisciplinary research and development will be the next stage. Science, engineering, agronomy, economics, and marketing are all well suited to the textile sector.
The two main scientific fields that aid in the synthesis of bio-based materials, including biosynthetics, are chemistry and biology. Interaction with mechanical production facilitates scaling-up in addition to synthesis, which makes commercial success possible. Researchers at Texas Tech University’s Fibre & Biopolymer Research Institute have developed a method for turning waste cotton into bioplastics. According to researchers, bioplastics leave a smaller carbon footprint and degrade quickly. This technology enables biofilms that can find applications in sustainable packaging.
The NCSU Nonwovens Institute is creating a number of nonwoven technologies to enhance functionality, such as the ability to fibrillate spun-melt textiles utilising mechanical techniques like hydroentangling and needlepunching to increase filtration efficiency. Texas Tech University researchers are using design elements to create effective and comfy filters.
Opportunities for defence
The U.S. advantage in advanced materials can only be sustained with investments that can lead to revolutionary and disruptive innovations, but there are urgent prospects for incremental research and new product development in military, medical, and protective fabrics. Only when the manufacturing community, represented by trade groups, and end users collaborate can such expenditures be made.
The National Council of Textile Organisations (NCTO), INDA, and ATA all promote domestic production in the technical textiles sector to ensure continuous supply chains. After the passage of FY-2025 National Defense Authorization Act by the U.S. House of Representatives, organizations like NCTO endorsed the passage as the Berry Amendment helps with strengthening defense procurement of quality products without supply chain interruptions.
It is clear that little changes are insufficient in light of the unfolding events in Syria and other crises in the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Research and production expenditures are required to create high performing products with several features. The next phase of research should focus on a “Systems of Systems” approach. One such example is developing lightweight systems that give multifunctionality, such as chem-bio protection and impact resistance. As these are two different functionalities, a systems approach will be useful.
In a recent webinar, Matt O’Sickey, dirrector of educational & technical affairs at INDA, highlighted that while there is an increase in volume of nonwovens, showing an increase in consumption, materials are becoming lighter weight.
New prospects
Similar to the plastic and automotive industries, the textile sector is striving to increase the cost-effectiveness and efficiency of recyclability and circularity. The industry must work with standardizing agencies such as ASTM and AATCC to categorize biodegradability, including industrial biodegradation, as identifying products based on degradation will create new markets and increase market acceptability.
Knowing their end-of-life characteristics, such as compostability and degradation, will be helpful since the advanced textiles sector requires functional chemicals and fibres. Functional biodegradable goods will continue to be in demand. Lightweight materials should be a priority for the advanced textiles sector in order to reduce costs, CO2 emissions, and pollution. The public is becoming aware of the necessity for research. R&D spending in the US is still showing a discernible upward trend.
A frequent writer to Textile Technology Source, Dr. Seshadri Ramkumar is a professor at Texas Tech University’s Department of Environmental Toxicology and The Institute of Environmental and Human Health.