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PFAS’ complicated removal from firefighter turnout gear
November 1st, 2024
R. Bryan Ormond, at left, and his team have conducted tests for oil repellency and flammability by exposing both PFAS-treated and PFAS-free turnout gear to a variety of substances. Image: R. Bryan Ormond As textiles move away from per- and polyfluoroalkylsubstances (PFAS), the firefighter turnout-gear market, for one, faces specific concerns. In the past, the […]
Conductive gel enables 3D-printing metal at room temp
February 1st, 2024
The spider the researchers created using the metallic gel provides an example of 4D printing, as it was able to assemble its own body from its initially flat shape. Image: NC State North Carolina State University (NC State) researchers have created a conductive gel that can be used to 3D-print solid metal objects at room […]
Enzymes power cotton-polyester blend separation
October 1st, 2023
Shown is cotton that the enzymes degraded into a slurry of fibers and blue glucose syrup that are later separated by filtration. Photos: North Carolina State University Researchers at North Carolina State University (NC State) are trying to reduce the amount of textile waste using enzymes to separate cotton-polyester blends, making it possible to recycle […]
Low-cost wearable electronics
January 1st, 2023
An NC State researcher demonstrates embroidery techniques. Photo: NC State Fabric researchers at the Wilson College of Textiles at North Carolina State University have created a technique for embroidering power-generating yarns onto fabric. This process allows researchers to embed a self-powered, numerical touchpad and movement sensors into clothing to offer a low-cost, scalable potential method […]
Polymer can remove dyes from wastewater
November 27th, 2022
The left vial shows dye solution in water (blue) and the right vial shows clear water after the dye was removed from the solution by the polymer. Photo: Januka Budhathoki-Uprety North Carolina State University researchers have demonstrated that a synthetic polymer can remove certain dyes from water and that the polymer can be recovered and […]
Textile filter could capture
November 1st, 2022
A new design for a filter could help remove carbon dioxide from flue gas emissions and air. Photo: Sonja Salmon North Carolina State University (NC State) researchers found they could filter carbon dioxide from air and gas mixtures at promising rates using a proposed new textile-based filter that combines cotton fabric and an enzyme called […]
U.S.- Honduran partnership to train textile students
November 1st, 2022
Representatives from North Carolina State University, Gaston College and Catawba Valley Community College joined those from the Central American Technological University (UNITEC) at a ceremony at Gaston College in Dallas, N.C. Photo: Gaston College North Carolina colleges and universities are joining forces with a key Honduran university to educate and train thousands of students for […]
Twisted soft robots navigate mazes
October 1st, 2022
Researchers from North Carolina State University (NC State) and the University of Pennsylvania have developed soft robots that can navigate complex environments such as mazes without input from humans or computer software. “These soft robots demonstrate ‘physical intelligence,’ meaning that structural design and smart materials are what allow the soft robot to navigate various situations, […]
Better protection for wildland firefighters
September 1st, 2022
North Carolina State University (NC State) researchers found that four new designs for shelters to protect firefighters trapped in wildfires could increase the survival time inside the shelter compared with the current industry standard. In lab simulations of wildfire burn-overs—where a wildfire sweeps over a group of trapped firefighters or equipment—temperatures inside the shelters remained […]
A look back at 2022 Smart Fabrics Summit
June 1st, 2022
NC State’s Zeis Textiles Extension director Dr. Andre West says the ability to grow cotton in colors, such as brown, could eliminate the need for polluting dye processes in cotton textiles. Photo: NC State Zeis Textiles Extension IFAI’s Smart Fabric Summit returned to an in-person event with a new location at North Carolina State University […]