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Plasma coating process creates PFAS-free finish
November 1st, 2024
The plasma system atomizes siloxane compounds into a cloud that can coat textile fibers, even stretchy ones (red in the colorized scanning electron microscopy image). Images: Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology Researchers at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) are working with textile companies on a PFAS coating replacement. The eco-friendly […]
Researchers investigate nanoplastics
June 1st, 2024
Particles of nanoplastics on the surface of the fleece fiber are visible under a scanning electron microscope. The particles detach during washing, so that after four washes, there are hardly any left. Researchers at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) have taken the study of microplastics to the next level—nanoplastics. Empa […]
Coating for textiles reduces growth of bacteria, viruses
June 1st, 2024
A colored image of the antimicrobial coating on a fabric sample, taken with a scanning electron microscope. Image: Empa Researchers at Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa), BASF, Spiez Laboratory and the Technical University of Berlin have created an antimicrobial coating for textiles that reduces or kills viruses and bacteria. The coating, […]
Sleep apnea textiles balance comfort and technology
May 1st, 2024
Comfort and ease of use are the cornerstones of today’s sleep apnea face masks. ResMed’s AirTouch full face mask is designed to provide a more flexible and gentle seal than traditional silicone-cushioned masks. Image: ResMed Approximately 39 million U.S. adults have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and nearly 936 million adults around the world are estimated […]
Swiss scientists explore the benefits of robotically ‘knitted’ roads
June 1st, 2021
Researchers at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) are investigating string patterns to reinforce roads. Here, a robotic arm lays out the knitting pattern. Photo: Empa. Researchers at the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology (Empa) are investigating how roads could be more easily reinforced and then recycled after […]
Breakthroughs in advanced textiles: Interactive auto textile and more
September 1st, 2020
BMW unveils ByBorre-designed interactive textile interior Dutch custom textile manufacturer ByBorre developed the fabrics for BMW’s future interactive car interior presented at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nev. The concept car cabin module donned the BMW i Interaction EASE, the car company’s expression of the “mobility experience of the future” where […]
Illuminated pajamas treat jaundice in newborns
March 1st, 2018
Babies born with jaundice begin their lives in an incubator, receiving irradiation with a blue shortwave light to counter toxic decomposition products of the blood pigment hemoglobin deposited in their skin. It’s hardly the way parents want their newborn babies to start out—alone, naked and with their eyes covered for protection. Researchers at the Biomimetic […]
Flexible textile sensors for medical use
November 1st, 2017
Researchers at Empa, the materials research institution in Dübendorf, Switzerland, have produced soft optic fibers for sensors that can be embedded in textiles as a thread. Worn next to the skin, the sensors can, for example, monitor whether a hospital patient is developing bedsores. Previously, polymer optic fibers, used in communication technology, weren’t supple enough […]
Smart bandage monitors wounds
October 1st, 2017
When a patient has a chronic wound, tracking the healing process and regularly changing the dressing is important to recovery. Nurses and other caregivers must guard against bacteria that could cause infections as well as keep the skin from getting irritated. Researchers from Empa, ETH Zurich, Centre Suisse d’Electronique et de Microtechnique (CSEM), and University […]