Fibres and Textiles

Fabric made water repellant by a plasma-enhanced polymer treatment

Group leaders: Professor Xungai Wang and Associate Professor Tong Lin

Introduction

Fibres and textiles have very diverse applications. The number of applications has been increasing in recent years.

We have over 30 researchers in the Institute for Frontier Materials, who work on a range of fibre and textile related projects.

Project Examples

We are the leading group in research into electrospun nanofibres, particularly bi-component nanofibres. Nanofibre materials are used in areas such as advanced filtration, protective clothing, and biomedical applications.

(Source: T. Lin &, HX Wang and XG Wang, Advanced Materials, 17, 2699-2703 (2005))

Conductive textiles

Conducting polymer coated textiles are usually dark or black. Our research is focused on producing coloured conductive textiles.


Coloured conductive textiles

Wool and other fibres

Our focus in animal fibre research is on innovative processing and application of animal fibres, particularly Australian merino wool. For instance, in collaboration with Wuhan University of Science and Engineering and Beijing Institute of Clothing Technology, we have converted wool fibres into very fine powders and then used the fine powders to produce new hybrid fibres with enhanced properties. We are also exploring other application for animal fibre powders.

Wool blend filament

Photochromic textiles

Photochromic textiles change colour when exposed to UV light and revert to their original colour in the absence of UV. We have developed a technique that imparts fabric with very quick photochromic response and good colour fastness.

UV absorption