From Evolution to Revolution

New performance fabrics make a mark in the 21st century.

The flurry of 1990s publicity around high-tech fabrics has faded somewhat as we enter the new millennium, but rest assured that there are plenty of new innovations now hitting the market. Nowhere is this more evident than in the realm of woven and nonwoven high-performance fabrics, including new systems that work with apparel to regulate temperatures and create a more comfortable body environment.

While these products still have yet to make their way into mainstream street apparel, they are expected to make the crossover. Here's a look at what the industry can expect to see coming down the road in the 21st century.

Evolon Leaps Forward

Evolon, a new fabric-forming technology from Freudenberg Nonwovens, can go from fiber to finished fabric without weaving or knitting. Manufactured in one continuous process from polymer granulates, Evolon combines three distinct processes: spun continuous filament technology, bicomponent filament technology and hydro-entangled technology. The resulting fabric has fine filaments ranging from 0.05 dtex to 2.5 dtex.

"It's considerably finer than the [microfibers] around today," says Terry O'Regan, manager, Evolon Apparel Fabrics North America. "We see it as the next revolution in the textile industry."

The fabric, which is produced without chemicals, is also drapable and durable, offering the consumer a garment with excellent moisture transport, ultraviolet protection and wind blocking characteristics, O'Regan explains. In addition, the fiber is as warm as traditional performance fabrics, but it weighs half as much because the microfibers are so fine. The material acts like skin, breathing while allowing moisture to evaporate quickly. Indeed, Evolon, which is manufactured in a plant in Colmar, France, won an award last year for textile innovation at Avantex, a new show for high-performance textiles in Frankfurt, Germany.

"Right now the performance features are excellent for outdoor wear," says O'Regan. With weights ranging from 100 grams (slightly over 3 ounces) to 220 grams (about 6.5 ounces), Evolon is aimed at activewear markets, including hiking, adventure travel, skiing and snow boarding. However, O'Regan sees the fabric branching into sportswear and street wear. For example, Evolon's light weight makes it excellent for limited packing space. It can be rolled up and when unpacked, wrinkles fall away. It also can be washed and dried quickly.

In terms of price, Evolon is competitive with traditional fabrics. According to O'Reagan, it is produced flat, and it can be dyed, printed and finished in a variety of ways, including sueding, flocking, calandering and embossing. She also cites several manufacturing advantages. Because it is non-directional, a manufacturer can optimize cutting yield. Moreover, overlocking seams and hemming garments are not necessary because the fabric doesn't fray. Seam slippage is also eliminated.

The Buzz on Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology, a new process that is coming on strong in the textile arena, actually changes the molecular structure of fabrics to add wrinkle-resistant, stain-proof and moisture-wicking properties without impacting the hand of the fabric. The technology originally was developed by David Soane Ph.D., a chemical engineer, who showed his creation to George Henderson, the CEO of Burlington Industries. Henderson then decided to invest in Soane's company, which is now called Nano-Tex, as 51 percent majority owner.

What exactly is nanotechnology? A nanometer is one billionth of a meter, and in the area of fabric, the technology creates a nano-scale chemical structure one-thousandth the size of conventional cotton fiber. These structures are permanently attached to the fabric, creating performance characteristics that are undetectable to the hand.

Right now nanotechnology has two commercial applications in apparel and home furnishings. Nano-Care[TM], used on cotton, imparts wrinkle resistance and water and oil repellency on fabric. Nano-Dry[TM], applied to synthetics, provides advanced hydrophilic performance properties such as breathability, permanent wickability and quick drying capability.

Nano-Dry currently is being used by Burlington PerformanceWear (BPW) in Synatural[TM], a group of techno-natural fabrics using DuPont's new Micromattique Natural Matte Luster polyester yarn, which has cotton-like aesthetics. "Customers that normally use cotton are now looking at the invisible performance that Synatural fabrics offer," says Lou D'Lando, BPW's executive vice president, apparel fabrics. "Savane, one of our largest customers, was among the first to adopt Synatural fabrics for a trousers program.

BPW also has a group of activewear fabrics that feature Nano-Dry. Jeff Toonkel, BPW executive vice president, activewear and barrier fabrics, explains that there are three categories of nylon and polyester fabrics in the line. For travel clothing, there are wrinkle-resistant shirtings and pant weights that are comfortable and easy to launder. For high-tech clothing, such as hiking, trekking, rock climbing, etc., there are more rugged fabrics with the same attributes. Finally, for golf, there are bottom weight fabrics combining fashion with performance in solids featuring weave effects and surface finishing.

In addition, Nano-Tex has licensed Galey & Lord to utilize Nano-Care technology on a variety of cotton and cotton blended fabrics.

Polar Warmth Without the Weight

Taking a new direction in adding warmth to fabrics, Maiden Ventures, a division of Maiden Mills Industries, has introduced Polartec[R] Heat[TM] Technology. Using rechargeable lithium-ion batteries to generate heat, this proprietary conductive laminate can be designed into any shape -- from gloves to vests to car seats, while still offering breathability, comfort and machine washability.

The technology initially was introduced in The North Face's MET5 jacket, which has two Polartec Heat Technology panels in the front core. Through the use of a controller unit and two rechargeable batteries, the wearer can focus heat to specific areas, such as glove fingers. A pair of batteries weighs 188 grams (6.63 ounces), and the addition of the heat panels to the jacket adds another 134 grams (4.73 ounces). However, users will be able to decrease the number of layers that they wear, which will reduce overall clothing weight and increase mobility. Some of the applications envisioned for the fabric include expedition wear, hunting and fishing apparel, on-mountain skiing garments, military wear and even street wear.

Malden Mills Industries has also introduced a new collection of technologically advanced fabrics in its Polartec Special Edition collection. These fabrics are optimized for extreme athletics and backcountry pursuits. They are breathable, compressible and offer warmth at light weights. For example, Polartec[R] Power Dry[R] with X-Static, a base-layer fabric that is worn next to the skin, features silver fibers that add a natural anti-microbial element to prevent odor.

Polartec[R] Wind Pro[TM], a wind-resistant non-laminate fleece, uses microfibers in a tight knit construction that offers a level of wind resistance up to four or five times that of traditional fleece. Yet Wind Pro still retains 85 percent of the breathability of traditional fleece.

Shirt Intelligence

Called "one of the 21 breakthroughs that could change your life in the 21st Century" by Life Magazine, the Smart Shirt is yet another milestone in apparel technology. Initially envisioned to monitor vital signs for the medical profession, the garment is the brainchild of Sundaresan Jayaraman, a professor of textile engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology, who began conducting research in 1996.

Jayaraman explains that the shirt, which is made of cotton fabric with special conducting fibers to carry information, can act as a veritable motherboard. (It's even been dubbed the Georgia Tech Wearable Motherboard[TM]). Different equipment to track vital signs can be plugged into the garment, including EKG sensors for monitoring heart rate, respiration rate and electrocardiograms, as well as a thermometer to measure body temperature. In addition, Jayaraman points out that the shirt can be woven in its entirety on a loom -- eliminating cutting and sewing.

The shirt is like a T-shirt or undershirt and is available in different sizes and colors. It is completely washable and all the devices can be plugged and unplugged. "The shirt adds a dimension of intelligence to clothing to take care of you," observes Jayaraman.

Today, Jayaraman envisions many more uses for the Smart Shirt, including monitoring children as they sleep and helping athletes to improve their performance. The garment also can be used as a lifestyle enhancement. Microphones can be plugged in to record a wearer's voice, as well as MP3 players, CD players and headphones.

In April 2000, Georgia Tech licensed the Smart Shirt technology to Sensatex Inc., which plans to have the garment commercially available by the latter part of this year or early 2002. The first application will he for monitoring children to prevent sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Sensitex also is working on a transceiver device the size of a pager that can be used to capture and transmit information wirelessly. Applications run the gamut from healthcare to space exploration to "telemedicine" to law enforcement and fire fighting. Although no price has been set, Jayaraman says that the intention is to make the Smart Shirt accessible to as many people as possible.

About the author:

Contributing Editor Raye Rudie is a 25-year-plus veteran of the fabrics and fashion industries.