Nanotechnologies in textiles

Nanotechnologies are now used in a wide range of applications. The tools for structuring matter on a submicron scale are becoming increasingly sophisticated, enabling the generation and control of material properties previously confined to highly specialized fields. While a number of consumer sectors, such as cosmetics, have been pioneers in this field, the introduction of these new technologies to the general public was bound to involve a successful marriage with the textile industry. As knitwear and fabrics evolved towards ever more technical and functional products, all kinds of textiles with new properties, based on the use of the "nano" effect, appeared on the market. Nevertheless, the communication and advertising that accompany the emergence of nanotechnologies, and nanomaterials in particular, in consumer applications, need to be given particular attention, in view of the issues of risk and societal acceptance.

The real interest in nanotechnology comes from the ability to structure matter on a nanometric scale, and the discovery of the unusual properties of the materials thus designed. The applications of these nanomaterials offer advantages at every stage of the textile chain, from the manufacture of fibers and yarns to garments and even the everyday use of the finished product: mechanical strength of fibers, durability of colors and electronic textiles...

Every sector of the textile industry is likely to have an interest in nanotextiles. This article reviews the state of the art in nanotextiles, the result of the union of the "nano" effect and the textile sector, and deciphers the advantages, hidden issues and classic problems associated with the use of these new materials.