Intelligent textiles for protection

Publisher Summary Smart textiles can be described as textiles that are able to sense stimuli from the environment, to react to them and adapt to them by integration of functionalities in the textile structure. The stimulus as well as the response can have an electrical, thermal, chemical, magnetic, or other origin. Advanced materials, such as vapor permeable barriers, fire-resistant, or ultra-strong fabrics are not considered as intelligent, no matter how high-tech they might be. The first textile material that was labeled as a smart textile was silk thread having a shape memory. It is a new type of product that offers the same potential and interest as technical textiles. Electro-conductive materials are consequently of utmost importance in the field of intelligent textiles. Smart textiles can contribute to protection and safety in three ways: they are able to detect conditions that signal increased danger; they prevent accidents by sending out a warning when hazardous conditions have been detected; in the case of serious threats, they can react by providing instantaneous protection. An important benefit of smart textiles in protective applications is that the textile can react when necessary, in a passive way or by active control mechanisms.

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