Multifunctional technical nonwoven and knitted textiles, composites and yarns

Title:                   Multifunctional technical nonwoven and knitted
textiles, composites and yarns and Processes
Project funding:   Croatian Ministry of Science, Education and Sports
Code:                  117-0000000-2984
Project Leader:     Prof. Zenun Skenderi, Ph.D.

Project Summary:

Further dislocation of the textile production from deveoped countries into Asia is a basic characteristic for the world textile industry today. In the field of technical textiles profound resistance is felt against relocation. An increase in the production of technical textiles is recorded due to a permanent expansion of the application range. It is used in: transportation, industry, medicine, hygiene, household, garment industry, agriculture, fishing trade, civil engineering, sport, safety, ecology etc. Nonwovens make the most significant contribution to the development of technical textiles. Over last decades the technology of nonwovens production has experienced a rapid development, and the production of late years has registered an annual increase of approx. 10%. A significant application range for technical textiles or geotextiles is civil engineering, in particular road building. In addition to woven, knitted and similar structures, nonwovens play a predominant role with a share of approx. 75% in 2005. The most important functions of geotextiles are: separation of weak soil, reinforcement of soil or elements of building structures, filtration and drainage. Geotextile properties are: stability, uniform structure, small thickness, high strength and stretching, porosity, small surface mass and water permeability. Various applications require a more or less marked particular structure and characteristic. The first part of the project will deal with various structures and properties of technical textiles based on nonwoven and knitted structures, in particular on geotextiles. Moreover, manufacturing technologies of technical textiles and knitted materials as well as their controlling parameters will be discussed. Conventional technologies such as: spinning, weaving, knitting and clothing technology will probably not withstand the competitiveness coming from Asia. Besides, relocation of the manufacture of man-made fibres into the Far East is taking place. It is undoubtedly the case that only those disposing of raw materials and enough knowledge to produce and sell high-quality products will have the chances of survival on the market. The investigation of possibilities of manufacturing from coarser sorts of wool which have similar fineness as domestic wool and the investigation of their possible use for products such as carpets and several articles of clothing will be within the scope of this project. The limit of fibre spinnability, typical stress-strain curve, the behavior of the yarn in cyclic elongation tests, surface friction and yarn hairiness will be defined.