Researchers add value to Thai fabrics

It is hoped that through the collaboration, the teams will come up with new products and production processes. The institute's executive director Virat Tandaechanurat said the partnership would help the institute widen its technology development for commercial use, while allowing local textile manufacturers to develop a broader variety of products.

According to the plan, the two organisations will help set the direction of textile-technology development to match market demand, while sharing each other's resources on new technology. As a first step, Virat said the institute is developing technology that would give conventional textiles new functions and new properties.

One example of functional textile development is the application of an anti-bacterial feature to fabrics. Some local textile manufacturers have adopted nanotechnology, whereby silver nano particles are used to coat the fabric, giving the clothes anti-bacterial protection. This is one way in which manufacturers can improve the quality of their products and add value.

Seeing this potential, Virat says the institute is carrying out more research to discover other materials, such as titanium dioxide or zinc oxide, that can be used to develop functional textiles for other purposes.

Silver, for example, has a power to sterilise and deodorise, so when it's used with clothes it can protect the wearer from germs. Titanium dioxide has anti-bacterial and self-cleaning properties, helping clothes stay clean, even if worn for a long time. Meanwhile, zinc oxide, which can kill microbes and bacteria, could be used to develop a hygienic fabric.

The institute also believes that functional textiles, which have commercial potential, include those coming with wrinkle-free, water-resistant, self-cleaning, odour-free and fire-resistant features. Meanwhile, the institute plans to carry out research on how to ensure the textiles maintain their new features for as long as possible.

The industry now uses a coating method to give the fabrics new properties, but this method only lasts for between 30 and 50 machine washes. Virat said they need to find how to keep nano particles attached to the textile fibres longer.

"If the textiles have the new features from the start of the process, the added properties will last longer," he said.

Virat says the institute hopes to apply the technology developments discovered through this collaboration to three group of textiles - fashion textiles, home furnishing textiles and technical textiles, such as fabric used by carmakers.

He hopes new technologies will allow manufacturers to develop new types of textiles with features such as water resistance or germ protection. He says this can also be applied to the home-textile area by creating fire-resistant curtains or dirt-free tablecloths, for example.

As technical textiles are used in the automotive industry to produce more than 40 items in vehicles, including air bags or car seats, technology development will help local manufacturers to add more value to their products to serve the country's plan to become the Detroit of Asia.

"We believe the collaboration with Nanotec will be a starting point for innovative textile technology that will boost the local industry and encourage manufacturers to create new kinds of products to compete in the world market," he said.

Pongpen Sutharoj

The Nation