A technical textile is a textile product manufactured for non-aesthetic purposes, where function is the primary criterion. It includes textiles for automotive applications, medical textiles (e.g., implants), geotextiles (reinforcement of embankments), agrotextiles, and protective clothing. The global growth rate of technical textiles is about 4% per year greater than the growth of home and apparel textiles.
One of the segments of textile industry that has received significant attention across the world is technical textiles. Technical textiles are used for functional purposes. They are also incorporated into industrial products such as electrical components and cables, flexible seals and diaphragms, and acoustic and thermal insulation for other domestic appliances.
In technical textiles sector there are a large number of space and products, often highly technological and where the end user requires specific requirements, and for which the cost is no longer the only parameter taken into consideration. In innovative textiles the market is growing rapidly and new products and applications are developing nowadays.
Technical textiles are segregated into 12 major segments:
Agro tech: Agro tech includes technical textile products used in agriculture, horticulture (incl. floriculture), fisheries and forestry. Applications for technical textiles in agriculture include all activities concerned with the growing and harvesting of crops and animals.
Geo tech: Geotech segment comprises of technical textile products used in Geotechnical applications pertaining to soil, rock, earth etc. This category of products is generally referred to as Geotextiles and specifically refers to permeable fabric or synthetic material, woven or non-woven, which can be used with geotechnical engineering material.
Pro tech: Protech is an ensemble of textile products and related material used in the manufacture of various protective clothing for personnel working in hazardous environment. The protective clothing includes garments and related paraphernalia for protection from harmful chemical environment, extreme temperature environments, low visibility, ballistic protection, etc.
Sportech: Sports textile is one of the branch of technical textile. Now a days sophisticated technology are used in technical textile to produce sports wear. Today’s sports demand high performance equipment and apparel.
Oekotech: Oekotech or Ecotech segment refers to use of technical textiles in Environmental Engineering. The primary segment in this is Landfill waste management which refers to the use of Geosynthetic products to secure landfills against leakage of municipal or hazardous waste.
Buildtech: Buildtech segment comprises of textiles or composite materials used in the construction of permanent and temporary buildings as well as structures. Textiles are used in construction for concrete reinforcement, façade foundations systems, interior construction, insulations, proofing materials, air conditioning, noise prevention, protection, visual protection, protection against the sun building safety.
Pack tech: Pack tech includes several flexible packaging materials used for industrial, agricultural, consumer and other goods. It ranges from synthetic bags used for industrial packaging to jute sacks used for packing food grains.
Indutech: Indutech textiles are used for diverse industrial applications like filtration, conveying, cleaning etc. This arena of technical textiles contains solutions and products for mechanical engineering and for varieties of industries, e.g. conductive textiles and 3-D textile products.
Meditech: Their use is based on a number of typical basic textile properties like softness and lightness, flexibility, absorption, filtering etc. Traditional applications include wound care products, diapers, braces, protheses and orthoses, wipes, breathing masks, bedding and covers, ropes and belts etc.
Hometech or Hometex: This segment of technical textile includes textile
components which are used in household application. It has wide range of
applications in interior decoration and fiamiture, carpeting, protection against
sun, cushion materials, fire proofing, floor and wall coverings, textile reinforced
structures that provide decoration, comfort and safety.
Clothtech or Clothtex: This segment of technical textiles used for the
production of garments and shoes which are made with technical components
such as yams, fibres and textiles and provide functional, smart and intelligent
clothing that gives strong insulation, water or fire resistance, breathability, wear
resistance etc.
Mobiltech or Mobiltex: The Mobiltech textiles are used in the construction of
automobiles, railways, ships, aircraft and spacecraft. The mobiltech products
comprises nylon tyre cord, airbags, car body covers, seat belt webbing,
automotive carpets, headliners, insulation felts, sun blinds, helmets, seat
upholstery, airline disposables, aircraft upholstery webbings for aircrafts, and
railways seating fabrics.
References:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technical_textile
- https://www.technicaltextile.net/articles/technical-textiles-and-their-applications-3922
- http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/63574/14/14_chapter%202.pdf
