Applications of Nanofibres in Textile Industry

Abstract:

The term nano is derived from the Greek word nanos meaning dwarf and is a unit prefix representing a factor of 10− 9 which means “one billionth”. Nanotechnology is a common name used for different set of techniques and methods to create numerous structures of nanometer sizes i.e. at the level of individual particles. Nanofibres have appeared as exciting one-dimensional nano materials and are capable to form networks of highly porous mesh with remarkable interconnectivity between their pores, which makes them an attractive choice for a number of commercial and innovative applications. Infact, the significant impact of nanofibre technology can be traced from the wide range of fundamental materials that can be used for synthesis of nanofibres. These include natural polymers, synthetic polymers, carbon-based, semiconducting and composite materials. One of the most widespread applications of nano fibres is in the field of textiles which include protective, smart, sportswear, electronic textiles, etc. These fibres have various applications in other areas also such as cosmetics; wound dressing, biomedical, filtration, drug delivery, sound absorptive materials etc. The future success of nanofibres in textile applications lies in areas where new principles will be combined into durable, multifunctional textile systems without compromising the inherent properties of textile including processability, flexibility etc.