Upon completion of the course, the student will have knowledge of high performance fibre materials used in industry, consumer products, sportswear and protective clothing. The student will be able to select the most suitable fibres for different applications. The student will learn the manufacturing processes to produce high performance fibres, yarns and fabrics. The student will understand the role of clothing in the thermal balance of the human body.

Basic knowledge of polymer science is required.

Definition and scope of technical textiles. Milestones in the development of technical textiles. Market overview: Worldwide consumption of technical textiles by product type and application. Mechanical properties of textiles: definition of linear density, tensile strength, tenacity, elongation, yield points, modulus, elastic recovery. (6 hours) High performance fibres (20 hours) - Meta-aramid fibres: structure, polymerisation, spinning process, post-spinning process, properties, applications for heat and flame protection. - Liquid crystal polymers: lyotropic and thermotropic liquid crystals. Dry-jet wet spinning of high tenacity fibres. Para-aramids. Liquid crystalline heterocyclic fibres (PBO Zylon, PBT). Liquid crystalline aromatic copolyesters (Vectran). Applications of para-aramids and other liquid crystal polymers in the field of ballistic protection. - High strength and high modulus polyethylene (Dyneema). Gel spinning. Superdrawing. - Carbon fibres: Application of carbon fibres in the manufacture of composite materials. - Glass fibres: Time-temperature transformation curves. Glass fibre compositions. Optical fibres. Composites: use of fibres in composites, mechanical properties of composites, effect of yarn interlacing on properties of composites. Heat and flame retardancy: inherently flame retardant fibres (Basofil, Kynol, Arimid, Modacrylics), chemically modified fibres (intumescent systems, FR finishing of cotton, viscose, wool). Textiles for sportswear: introduction to thermo-physiological comfort. Influence of environment, metabolism and clothing on thermal comfort. Criteria for the design of high performance sportswear: Wicking properties and fluid management of fabrics, water vapour permeability, air permeability, thermal resistance. Models for predicting comfort: Fanger model and predictive mean vote. Heat and mass balance of the human body (20 hours). Smart textiles (14 hours): Stimuli-responsive polymers for smart textiles, phase change materials, shape memory materials. Wearable technologies: electronic textiles, conductive polymers, screen printing technology. Use of smart and wearable technologies to improve safety and performance at work and in sporting activities.

The course consists of lectures (48 hours) and teamwork (12 hours) where students focus on a specific application of high performance fibres (e.g. agrotextiles, medical textiles, etc.) and give a presentation to their classmates at the end of the course.

AA.VV. Textiles for Sporswear, Woodhead publishing, 2016 AA.VV. Handbook of Technical Textiles, Woodhead Publishing, 2015 AA.VV. Smart textiles for Protection, Woodhead Publishing, 2013

Lecture slides;

You can take this exam before attending the course

Exam: Written test; Group project;

Assessment is by written examination (1.5 hours) consisting of 3 open questions on the course topics. It is not possible to consult books and notes during the written examination. Maximum mark of the written exam 18/30. The remaining 12 points are obtained by assessing the presentation of the teamwork. The oral examination consists of the elaboration of a specific topic assigned to each team. Each student will present part of the teamwork using a ppt presentation in English. Possible topics include the analysis of the 12 categories of technical textiles or advanced sportswear for specific sports. For students who cannot attend the course, an individual project will be considered.

In addition to the message sent by the online system, students with disabilities or Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) are invited to directly inform the professor in charge of the course about the special arrangements for the exam that have been agreed with the Special Needs Unit. The professor has to be informed at least one week before the beginning of the examination session in order to provide students with the most suitable arrangements for each specific type of exam.