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A look at four Super Textiles

Furniture Today Staff -- Furniture Today, January 16, 2012

NEW YORK - In comic books and fantasy worlds, all heroes and villains have unique super powers. In real life, through research and technology advancement we can achieve "super" qualities in basically every field imaginable.
     Simple textiles used for fashion, interiors, surfaces, automotive and much more can now achieve special qualities that transform them into Super Textiles. At Material ConneXion we have found, among others, four materials that offer enhanced elements making them usable in the most diverse applications and circumstances.
N9 Pure Silver
     This antimicrobial silver particulate agent can be incorporated into a variety of materials, textiles, cosmetic products and paints. It has antibiotic properties that eliminate the presence of various harmful pathogens such as bacteria, microbes, various fungi allergens and other viral microorganisms. It can be used to eliminate bad odors that originate from such microorganisms as well as promote good hygiene and health and it does not wash off. N9 can achieve these benefits through minimal silver loading.
     Since the particles are nano sized, a greater active surface area is achieved and less silver is required to obtain the antimicrobial effects. Inclusion of only 3 parts-per-million (ppm) of these nano sized silver particles are needed to achieve the same antimicrobial effects that would normally require an approximately 200 ppm concentration of the more commonly used silver particulate sizes. Consequently, it is less expensive than competitive silver based antimicrobial products and more effective. Because of its antibacterial properties, N9 is currently used in sportswear and outwear, work wear, furnishings, bed linens, mattresses, curtains and textiles. It is also used in a variety of military and medical applications.
Feather Fabric
     These textiles are 72% rayon, 18% peacock feather and 10% silk, creating a velvet like material with a surface pile of peacock feathers. The quills are gathered as castoffs from free-range wild peacocks. The quill side-feathers are hand plucked, assorted, twisted and knotted to eventually form a continuous thread that makes up the surface pile of the fabric. They are hand-woven on a non-electric jacquard loom in India. Only 12 inches of fabric are completed on average per day. Applications are for upholstery, pillows, wall panels and apparel.
PureTi TiO2 Fabrics
     Titanium dioxide, typically used as a pigment in toothpaste and an active ingredient in sunscreen, can also, in ultraviolet light, act as a catalyst to break down air pollutants. PureTi Fresh is a perfectly balanced photo catalytic surface treatment that turns fabrics and textiles into light-activated air scrubbers that cleanse a room of objectionable organic odors and indoor air pollutants. PureTi Fresh is a spray applied and works to remove organic malodors from the air, including tobacco smoke, fire damage, and human and agricultural waste. It contains no perfumes and does not mask odors - instead working actively and continuously at the surface level to break down odor-causing molecules. Easy one-step application process dries in approximately 10 minutes. PureTi turns any fabric or textile into a sustainable air cleanser and odor eliminator, attacking harmful indoor air polluters such as VOCs. Applications include, but are not limited to: fabrics in cars, boats, planes, and interiors of rooms that are exposed to sunlight or fluorescent lighting.
P2i
P2i      This nano-structured coating for textiles and other fabric surfaces is applied via pulsed ionized gas (plasma) within a vacuum chamber. The coating is bonded to textiles at a molecular level, rendering them water-repellent while maintaining temperature control and breathability. It stops water and dirt from penetrating the textile but also allows perspiration to escape. The dirt and water-repellant properties promote stain resistance and allow products to maintain their original appearance longer. The coating is only nanometers thick and does not add any additional weight to the textile. It is solvent-free and uses only microscopic quantities of a protective monomer, resulting in minimal waste and a low environmental impact. The nano-coating is physically bonded at a molecular level so it lasts as long as the textile and cannot be seen or felt. Applications are for footwear, apparel, and other textile surface applications.

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