The global market for nanotechnologies is projected to grow at a CAGR of around 20% till 2013, says “Nanotechnology Market Forecast to 2013”. The report also projects that market for nanotechnology incorporated in manufactured goods will worth US $ 1.6 trillion. This growth will largely be driven by massive investments in nanotechnology R&D by both the Government and corporates across the world.
Nanotechnology is a buzzword and the impact which one can derive from it in textiles cannot be obtained from conventional methods as nano is permanent and effective. According to Dr. Ashwini K. Agrawal, Professor, Dept of Textile Technology, IIT, Delhi, the textile department at IIT has a research group called SMITA (Smart and Innovative Textile Materials), comprising of faculty and students working on developing novel, intelligent, smart and functional materials for textile applications since eight years.
Working very closely with the Indian industry to take some of these technologies to a viable commercial use, Dr. Agrawal informs Apparel Online that people very sweepingly refer nanotechnology as smart or intelligent technology, whereas both have different functionalities. “Nanotechnology helps to improve products and production processes with better characteristics or new functionalities and when the additional functionality changes with change in use conditions, then textile is regarded as Active Smart or Intelligent Smart-Textile, which also uses nanotechnology,” clarified Dr. Agrawal. Considering the future prospects of nanotechnology, companies across the world are investing heavily in this sector with the active support of the Government.
Companies like Reliance Industries, Mahale Filters, SRF Ltd., Aditya Birla Science and Technology Company Ltd. (ABSTCL), Resil Chemicals Pvt. Ltd. and Pluss Polymers Pvt. Ltd. (PLUSS®), are gropingly working with IIT Delhi in the field of nanotechnology and smart textiles for commercial exploitation and some of these technologies will be in the market in six months to a year’s time.
Self-cleaning technology, based on nano-application is one such technology which would be commercialised in textiles in the near future. In this, whatever dirt comes on to the cloth gets degraded in the sunlight… no washing is required. The other interesting technology is nano-silver.
Since ages, silver has been identified to have antimicrobial but no one knew that it is in nano form. Resil Chemicals, doing a lot of polymers and speciality materials for textile industry is working closely with IIT in this area along with other nanotechnologies to utilize this property to an advantage. Ganesh Srinivasan, Head – Collaborations & Technology, Resil Chemicals, shares, “We are working on nano-silver which is antimicrobial or odour control agent which will improve the hygiene of the product. Basically if you look at sportswear and inner wear, there is a lot of microbial growth and foul odour is generated when worn.”
As per Ganesh they have got good results with nano-silver and the company would be commercialising this product in this year itself. “We already have access to a lot of these textile companies to whom we are selling our speciality materials and chemicals. We’ll market nano-silver to brands, both domestic and international,” declares Ganesh.
When asked if nano-silver would make the fabric prices high, Ganesh says ‘no’ as nano materials are required in very little quantities; the consumer would be paying just as much as he pays for other technology value additions.
Resil is also looking at coating the fabric with zinc-oxide nano particles which would give UV protection to help in arresting colour fading of the fabrics that are exposed to the sunlight continuously like curtains, tents, etc. The company is also working on water repellent fabrics which would avoid stain formation. “Current technologies on stain repellency are based on chlorocarbon; we are looking at nanotechnology to substitute chlorocarban which would be much safer and better in terms of performance.”
In order to develop smart or intelligent textile for novel applications, processes such as electro spinning (for finer fibres used for protective clothing), electro spraying (for enhancing functionality), plasma processing (surface nature of the material can be changed but the look and feel of the fabric remains the same and it’s permanent), micro encapsulation (in this micro-diameter balls which are not visible are mixed in fibre. It preserves the function, like for example if perfume is to remain permanent on a fabric this application helps to do so), etc. are becoming important in textile research.
Gurgaon-based Pluss Polymers an offshoot of Manas Research and Technology has been established to develop and market new technologies and products.
Samit Jain, Director of the company has entered into a collaboration with IIT Delhi and Government of India, for a jointly sponsored project to commercialize the technology for producing organic Phase Change Material (PCM) which can be microencapsulated and then coated on the fabrics.
PCM has large amounts of heat stored in the form of latent heat which is absorbed or released when the materials change state from solid to liquid or vice versa.
PCM coated fabrics can be used to produce jackets/clothing for use by civil, defence personnel in adverse climatic conditions. This fabric would also be suitable for sportswear, seat covers, window-blinds, upholstery, etc. “We expect pilot trials to happen in about six months from now and the commercial production in about a year’s time,” says Samit. The beauty of PCM is that anyone can apply PCM technology to their operation, to improve thermal management, cost and energy efficiencies.
The lack of penetration of nanotechnology in India is because of small market for the value-added products and high cost of patented technology held by a few big companies Clariant, BSF, Thompson Research who are providing nanotechnology globally. Presently the companies which are buying the technology from abroad have to go through ‘tri-party’ agreement between the seller, buyer and the processor to protect the technology. At times the companies selling nanotechnology in order to protect their technology process/finish products themselves.
While concluding his opinion on nanotechnology’s penetration, Dr. Agrawal says, “Nanotechnolgy so far is being applied just in technical textiles; both woven and non woven and its application is mainly in medical, industrial, automotive and building sectors. The real penetration of nanotechnology in textile will only take place when the garment brands both domestic and international demand for it; it has started with antimicrobial garments more applications would follow in coming times.”
