Ten years of honing to produce multifunctional textiles

Nanotechnology is a high-tech that has emerged in recent years. It is a technology that uses a single atom or molecule to make matter. In addition to physical and chemical research, it is often used for false propaganda. For the average consumer today, nanotechnology is familiar and unfamiliar. But in the foreseeable future, nanotechnology will be widely used in textile and apparel.

Recently, the research achievement of the textile chemistry and dyeing and finishing engineering research and innovation team led by Professor Shen Yong of the School of Fashion Engineering of Shanghai University of Engineering and Technology, “Key Technology and Industrialization of High-Performance Nano Photocatalytic Functional Textiles” won the second prize of Shanghai Science and Technology Progress Award.

Air purification textile

As early as 2006, many Japanese companies began to try air purification textiles. Some polyester polyester fabrics can purify formaldehyde, ammonia, acetic acid, etc., and some acrylic fibers can eliminate ammonia by chemical absorption. Another polyester has a strong removal of acetaldehyde, which is the main component of tobacco.

The nano-catalytic material developed by the research team led by Shen Yong can degrade the harmful organic compounds such as formaldehyde and benzene in the air under the action of light. These organic substances will be decomposed into water and carbon dioxide to purify the air. effect. After identification, this research results are self-cleaning, purifying air, antibacterial, deodorizing, anti-ultraviolet and other functions.

When talking about the initial project, Professor Shen Yong told reporters: "Now there are many news reports that children have just bought a new car, or they have leukemia soon after they enter a new house. Although it is medically impossible to determine the harmful substances such as formaldehyde is the main cause of the disease. However, we still hope to find a material that can purify the air to avoid the harm of air pollution to the human body."

In constant research, he discovered that nano-photocatalytic materials and textile fibers can be used as a highly efficient and durable photocatalytic compliant multi-functional textile, degrading or decomposing volatile organic compounds in the environment, and can be applied to daily life and certain For special occasions, the role of "purifying the air" is achieved.

Even more surprising is that the product not only purifies the air, but also has many functions such as UV protection, antibacterial and deodorization. In contrast, Japan's air-purifying textiles appear to be more versatile and inconvenient to use.

However, the combination of nano-photocatalytic materials and textile fibers requires a lot of research work, and many research teams have already tried.

Some teams have adopted a solution blending or melt blending method to mix nanomaterials with fiber polymers to produce functional fibers and fabrics. This solves the problem that nanomolecules need to be firmly bonded to fibers, but a new problem The nanomaterials made in this way are very easy to agglomerate and may be accompanied by impurities, which are not easy to control.

Another method is to "stick" the nanomaterial to the surface of the textile by an adhesive. Such textiles are not easy to clean, and the fabric feels rough.

After nearly a decade of research, Shen Yong finally found a solution: using structurally modified chemical methods, the reactive chemical groups on the nanomaterials can directly react with the fibers to achieve covalent bond tight linkage, this chemical combination It not only guarantees the feel of the fabric, does not contain any added adhesive, but also utilizes the characteristics of the raw materials of the fabric and is environmentally friendly.

He introduced that the most critical aspect of the project was to achieve breakthroughs in the technology of uniform dispersion of nanoparticles and their strong bonding with fibers, and completed a number of technological innovations.

Through this project, his team developed a “one-step” hydrolysis preparation technology and production technology for modified nano-titanium dioxide in textile functional finishing, and developed a feasible finishing process for modified nano-titanium dioxide on textiles, and solved the nano-particles. The problem of uniform dispersion on fibers and its strong bonding with fibers has developed a series of fabric photocatalyst, antibacterial and anti-UV multi-functional finishing agents, and established the production of nano-multi-functional textile and apparel fabrics, home textiles and automotive interior textiles. base.

Rapid research and development

Speaking of the success of this project, Shen Yong said that in research, the research and development model of production, education and research has contributed.

In order to achieve early development success, Shen Yong's R&D team has cooperated with a number of companies, adopted the project leader responsibility system, and fully utilized the existing integration of production, study and research in the project unit to quickly apply the developed technology. In the scale production, the process and time for the completion of technology and product development are shortened. The production of the products mainly utilizes the existing production conditions of the project unit, and at the same time, the more professional processing is entrusted to the professional manufacturers for production according to the technical requirements, so that it can guarantee The normal investment and cost of the project can also promote the coordinated development of other related industries.

The R&D team regularly summarizes the experience of the project, and the research results are transformed in time through the platform of production, education and research to provide a good atmosphere and necessary supporting measures for the transformation of technological achievements.

Shanghai Bada Textile Printing & Dyeing Garment Co., Ltd., Shanghai Leading Home Textiles Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Auto Carpet General Factory Co., Ltd. have also developed well in scientific research projects.

The reporter also learned that the R&D team will continue to rely on the Shanghai R&D public service platform “Shanghai Apparel Creative Design and Digital Technology Public Service Platform”, which will be established in 2013, and jointly cooperate with Shanghai Bada Textile Printing and Dyeing Garment Co., Ltd., Shanghai Leading Home Textile Co., Ltd., Shanghai. Car Carpet General Factory Co., Ltd. provides various information and service support for Shanghai textile and garment industry research and development, innovation and entrepreneurship.

At present, this research has applied for more than ten invention patents, and six have been authorized, and many have filled China's gap in this field.

Shen Yong said: "At present, we have reached a consensus with related companies to continue to deepen the application research of nanomaterials in textile materials, manufacture related raw materials, develop and give more functions to textiles, and expand their application fields. Many nano-functional textile products will soon be available."