Bioactive and biologically active textiles

The market for bioactive textiles has grown significantly in recent years. Several factors have contributed to this:

• Consumers are increasingly concerned about their well-being and health, and want to be reassured and protected;

• European manufacturers have the opportunity to manufacture and market technical textiles that differ from conventional products imported from low-wage countries, enabling them to bear European manufacturing costs;

• distributors want to offer their customers new products, in order to expand their range and achieve higher margins.

Technologies have progressed in recent years, in terms of efficiency and washability; new concepts have been developed, and some technologies have less impact on people and the environment.

From a medical point of view, the fight against allergies caused by dust mites or dust, nosocomial infections, malaria or flu pandemics can also find answers with bioactive textiles.

Increased legislation, controls and standardization on this type of textile – which uses active chemicals – is proof of the development of these products.

Bioactive fabric technologies are often intended to destroy micro-organisms (biocidal fabrics), but it is also possible to consider this concept of bioactive fabric as a textile that acts on the human body in a direct or indirect positive way, such as :

• Texticaments and medical textiles: external (e.g. compression stockings) or implantable (e.g. artificial tendons, artificial arteries);

• antimicrobial fabrics that treat certain skin diseases (Dooderm products) or are used in dressings;

• cosmetotextiles (moisturizing, perfuming, "anti-cellulite", toning, anti-UV, with vitamins...);

• operating theatre textiles (garments and drapes);

• clothing used in cleanrooms;

• connected clothing, with built-in sensors for biological parameters (body temperature, blood pressure, heart rate, etc.).

This article will focus on biocidal textiles used by consumers or in hospitals.