Performance Textiles

Performance textiles are designed with specific capabilities to meet the demands of a particular end use, such as sportswear, medical textiles, or outdoor products.
These fabrics offer a wide range of special features, often labelled as ‘technical’ or ‘functional’, such as water resistance, fire resistance, breathability, and thermal insulation.
The desired properties are achieved by selecting the appropriate fibre types, yarn structures, fabric construction methods and finishing processes.

Types of Performance Textiles

Sportswear textiles are specially designed to enhance athletic performance and comfort, offering properties such as moisture wicking, breathability, stretchability, and odor resistance.
Medical textiles are designed for healthcare applications, these fabrics must be hygienic and often need properties such as bacterial resistance, biocompatibility, and sometimes offer wound healing capabilities.
Protective clothing textiles are made to safeguard the wearer from environmental risks. These include fire-resistant textiles, cut and puncture resistant fabrics, and chemical protective suits.

Performance textiles often use a mix of nanotechnology, smart textiles technology, and biotechnology in their production.
Nanotechnology involves manipulating materials on a nanoscale to enhance their properties. In textiles, this can improve water resistance, antimicrobial effects, or UV protection.
Smart textiles refer to textiles incorporated with technology to provide additional functionality, such as monitoring physiological parameters or providing interactive user experiences.
Biotechnology applications in textiles include the use of natural processes or organisms in material production and the creation of biofunctional textiles with properties such as antibiotic effects or controlled release of substances.

The development of a performance textile must take into account its intended end use, legal requirements, sustainability concerns, and cost.
The selection of fibres plays a significant role in defining the textile’s performance. It’s critical that the fibre’s properties align with the requirements of the end product.
The production process can significantly impact a textile’s performance. For example, the weave type used can enhance the fabric’s heat and moisture transport capabilities.
Finishing processes such as dyeing, printing, and coating can also significantly impact a textile’s performance by adding properties such as water resistance, fire resistance, or antimicrobial effects. These processes must be carefully conducted to prevent detriment to functionality or durability.
Testing and quality assurance are crucial to ensure the product achieves all required performance criteria and complies with relevant laws and standards. This generally involves rigorous testing under controlled conditions and continuous quality checks during the manufacturing process.
The environmental impact of the production and disposal of performance textiles is increasingly important. Developers must strive for sustainable practices, such as using recycled materials, reducing water and energy use, and minimizing emissions and waste.