Category Archives: clothing

Gold from e-waste opens rich vein for miners and the environment plus there’s ancient golden sea silk from Korea

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I have two ‘golden’ stories, one from Australia and the other from Korea.

Extracting and recovering gold from ore and electronic waste

A Flinders University (Australia) June 26, 2025 press release (also on EurekAlert) announces research into a technique for reducing toxic waste, Note: Links have been removed,

An interdisciplinary team of experts in green chemistry, engineering and physics at Flinders University in Australia has developed a safer and more sustainable approach to extract and recover gold from ore and electronic waste.

Explained in the leading journal Nature Sustainability, the gold-extraction technique promises to reduce levels of toxic waste from mining and shows that high purity gold can be recovered from recycling valuable components in printed circuit boards in discarded computers.

The project team, led by Matthew Flinders Professor Justin Chalker, applied this integrated method for high-yield gold extraction from many sources – even recovering trace gold found in scientific waste streams.

The progress toward safer and more sustainable gold recovery was demonstrated for electronic waste, mixed-metal waste, and ore concentrates.

“The study featured many innovations including a new and recyclable leaching reagent derived from a compound used to disinfect water,” says Professor of Chemistry Justin Chalker, who leads the Chalker Lab at Flinders University’s College of Science and Engineering.

“The team also developed an entirely new way to make the polymer sorbent, or the material that binds the gold after extraction into water, using light to initiate the key reaction.”

Extensive investigation into the mechanisms, scope and limitations of the methods are reported in the new study, and the team now plans to work with mining and e-waste recycling operations to trial the method on a larger scale.

“The aim is to provide effective gold recovery methods that support the many uses of gold, while lessening the impact on the environment and human health,” says Professor Chalker.

The new process uses a low-cost and benign compound to extract the gold. This reagent (trichloroisocyanuric acid) is widely used in water sanitation and disinfection. When activated by salt water, the reagent can dissolve gold.

Next, the gold can be selectively bound to a novel sulfur-rich polymer developed by the Flinders team. The selectivity of the polymer allows gold recovery even in highly complex mixtures.

The gold can then be recovered by triggering the polymer to “un-make” itself and convert back to monomer. This allows the gold to be recovered and the polymer to be recycled and re-used.

Global demand for gold is driven by its high economic and monetary value but is also a vital element in electronics, medicine, aerospace technologies and other products and industries. However, mining the previous metal can involve the use of highly toxic substances such as cyanide and mercury for gold extraction – and other negative environmental impacts on water, air and land including CO2 emissions and deforestation.

The aim of the Flinders-led project was to provide alternative methods that are safer than mercury or cyanide in gold extraction and recovery.

The team also collaborated with experts in the US and Peru to validate the method on ore, in an effort to support small-scale mines that otherwise rely on toxic mercury to amalgamate gold.

Gold mining typically uses highly toxic cyanide to extract gold from ore, with risks to the wildlife and the broader environment if it is not contained properly. Artisanal and small-scale gold mines still use mercury to amalgamate gold. Unfortunately, the use of mercury in gold mining is one of the largest sources of mercury pollution on Earth.

Professor Chalker says interdisciplinary research collaborations with industry and environmental groups will help to address highly complex problems that support the economy and the environment.

“We are especially grateful to our engineering, mining, and philanthropic partners for supporting translation of laboratory discoveries to larger scale demonstrations of the gold recovery techniques.”

Lead authors of the major new study – Flinders University postdoctoral research associates Dr Max Mann, Dr Thomas Nicholls, Dr Harshal Patel and Dr Lynn Lisboa – extensively tested the new technique on piles of electronic waste, with the aim of finding more sustainable, circular economy solutions to make better use of ever-more-scarce resources in the world. Many components of electronic waste, such as CPU units and RAM cards, contain valuable metals such as gold and copper.

Dr Mann says: “This paper shows that interdisciplinary collaborations are needed to address the world’s big problems managing the growing stockpiles of e-waste.”

ARC DECRA Fellow Dr Nicholls, adds: “The newly developed gold sorbent is made using a sustainable approach in which UV light is used to make the sulfur-rich polymer. Then, recycling the polymer after the gold has been recovered further increases the green credentials of this method.”

Dr Patel says: “We dived into a mound of e-waste and climbed out with a block of gold! I hope this research inspires impactful solutions to pressing global challenges.”

“With the ever-growing technological and societal demand for gold, it is increasingly important to develop safe and versatile methods to purify gold from varying sources,” Dr Lisboa concludes.

…

Fast Facts:

Electronic waste (e-waste) is one of the fastest growing solid waste streams in the world.  In 2022, an estimated 62 million tonnes of e-waste was produced globally. Only 22.3% was documented as formally collected and recycled. 

E-waste is considered hazardous waste as it contains toxic materials and can produce toxic chemicals when recycled inappropriately. Many of these toxic materials are known or suspected to cause harm to human health, and several are included in the 10 chemicals of public health concern, including dioxins, lead and mercury. Inferior recycling of e-waste is a threat to public health and safety. 

Miners use mercury, which binds to gold particles in ores, to create what are known as amalgams. These are then heated to evaporate the mercury, leaving behind gold but releasing toxic vapours. Studies indicate that up to 33% of artisanal miners suffer from moderate metallic mercury vapor intoxication.

Between 10 million and 20 million miners in more than 70 countries work in artisanal and small-scale gold mining, including up to 5 million women and children. These operations, which are often unregulated and unsafe, generate 37% of global mercury pollution (838 tonnes a year) – more than any other sector.

Most informal sites lack the funding and training needed to transition towards mercury-free mining. Despite accounting for 20% of the global gold supply and generating approximately US$30 billion annually, artisanal miners typically sell gold at around 70% of its global market value. Additionally, with many gold mines located in rural and remote areas, miners seeking loans are often restricted to predatory interest rates from illegal sources, pushing demand for mercury.

High quality gold recovered from electronic waste in the Flinders University study. Credit: Flinders University

Here’s a link to and a citation for the paper,

Sustainable gold extraction from ore and electronic waste (2025) by Maximilian Mann, Thomas P Nicholls, Harshal D Patel, Lynn S Lisboa, Jasmine MM Pople, Le Nhan Pham, Max JH Worthington, Matthew R Smith, Yanting Yin, Gunther G Andersson, Christopher T Gibson, Louisa J Esdaile, Claire E Lenehan, Michelle L Coote, Zhongfan Jia and Justin M Chalker .Nature Sustainability 8, pages 947–956 (2025) Published online: 26 June 2025 Issue Date: August 2025 DOI: 10.1038/s41893-025-01586-w

This paper is behind a paywall.

I have a May 24, 2024 posting “Deriving gold from electronic waste” featuring a different extraction strategy, this time from Switzerland.

Golden sea silk

Always a favourite of mine, a structural colour story,

Caption: Golden sea silk Credit: POSTECH (Pohang University of Science & Technology)

A Pohang University of Science & Technology (POSTECH) press release on EurekAlert describes how researchers have developed a technique for creating ‘golden sea silk’,

A luxurious fiber once reserved exclusively for emperors in ancient times has been brought back to life through the scientific ingenuity of Korean researchers. A team led by Professor Dong Soo Hwang (Division of Environmental Science and Engineering / Division of interdisciplinary bioscience & bioengineering, POSTECH) and Professor Jimin Choi (Environmental Research Institute) has successfully recreated a golden fiber, akin to that of 2,000 years ago, using the pen shell (Atrina pectinata) cultivated in Korean coastal waters. This breakthrough not only recreates the legendary sea silk but also reveals the scientific basis behind its unchanging golden color. The study was recently published in the prestigious journal Advanced Materials.

Sea silk—often referred to as the “golden fiber of the sea”—was one of the most prized materials in the ancient Roman period, used exclusively by figures of high authority such as emperors and popes. This precious fiber is made from the byssus threads secreted by Pinna nobilis, a large clam native to the Mediterranean, which uses the threads to anchor itself to rocks. Valued for its iridescent, unfading golden color, light weight, and exceptional durability, sea silk earned its reputation as the “legendary silk.” A notable example is the Holy Face of Manoppello, a relic preserved for centuries in Italy, which is believed to be made from sea silk.

However, due to recent marine pollution and ecological decline, Pinna nobilis is now an endangered species. The European Union has banned its harvesting entirely, making sea silk an artifact of the past—produced only in minuscule quantities by a handful of artisans.

The POSTECH research team turned their attention to the pen shell Atrina pectinata, a species cultivated in Korean coastal waters for food. Like Pinna nobilis, this clam secretes byssus threads to anchor itself, and the researchers found that these threads are physically and chemically similar to those of Pinna nobilis. Building on this insight, they succeeded in processing pen shell byssus to recreate sea silk.

However, their achievement goes beyond mere replication of its appearance. The team also revealed the scientific secret behind sea silk’s distinctive golden hue and its resistance to fading over time.

The golden color of sea silk is not derived from dyes, but from structural coloration—a phenomenon caused by the way light reflects off nanostructures. Specifically, the researchers identified that the iridescence arises from a spherical protein structure called “photonin,” which forms layered arrangements that interact with light to produce the characteristic shine. Similar to the color seen in soap bubbles or butterfly wings, this structure-based coloration is highly stable and does not fade easily over time.

Moreover, the study revealed that the more orderly the protein arrangement, the more vivid the structural color becomes. Unlike traditional dyeing, this color is not applied but instead generated by the alignment of proteins within the fiber, contributing to the material’s remarkable lightfastness over millennia.

Another significant aspect of this research is the upcycling of pen shell byssus, previously discarded as waste, into a high-value sustainable textile. This not only helps reduce marine waste but also demonstrates the potential of eco-friendly materials that carry cultural and historical significance.

Professor Dong Soo Hwang noted, “Structurally colored textiles are inherently resistant to fading. Our technology enables long-lasting color without the use of dyes or metals, opening new possibilities for sustainable fashion and advanced materials.”

Here’s a link to and a citation for the paper,

Structurally Colored Sustainable Sea Silk from Atrina pectinata by Jimin Choi, Jun-Hyung Im, Young-Ki Kim, Tae Joo Shin, Patrick Flammang, Gi-Ra Yi, David J. Pine, Dong Soo Hwang. Advanced Materials Volume37, Issue30 July 29, 2025 2502820 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202502820 First published online: 29 April 2025

This paper is behind a paywall.

Agricultural waste for clothes of the future

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A June 17, 2025 Chalmers University of Technology (Sweden) press release (also on EurekAlert) announces research into extracting cellulose from agricultural waste for future use in textiles, Note: A link has been removed,

Cellulose-based textile material can make the clothing sector more sustainable. Currently, cellulose-based textiles are mainly made from wood, but a study headed by researchers from Chalmers University of Technology points to the possibility of using agricultural waste from wheat and oat. The method is easier and requires fewer chemicals than manufacturing forest-based cellulose, and can enhance the value of waste products from agriculture.

Making clothing from water-intensive cotton has a major impact on the climate. That’s why cellulose from other raw materials has come into focus in recent years as a more resource-smart method of textile production. Up to now, the efforts have concentrated on wood-based cellulose. But in a recently published study, researchers investigated a different path for cellulose fibre manufacture, by using waste products from agriculture, which Sweden has a lot of.

The researchers tested oat husks, wheat straw, potato pulp and sugar beet pulp. Oat husks and wheat straw turned out to work best to develop a pulp, called dissolving pulp, which is used to make clothing.

“With this method, which we further developed in this study, we show that you can make textile pulp from certain agricultural waste products,” says Diana Bernin, Assistant Professor at the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering at Chalmers and senior researcher in the study. “This is an important step towards being able to create textiles from waste products instead of using cotton, which isn’t climate-friendly, or wood, a material that we want to use for so many things while also needing to preserve it for the benefit of the climate.”

More sustainable manufacturing with lye

The team used soda pulping as one part of the process. This means that the raw material is boiled in lye, which makes manufacturing more sustainable.

“Lye doesn’t contain any toxins or substances that impact nature,” she explains. “Soda pulping doesn’t work for wood fibres, so making textile pulp from wheat straw and oat husks requires fewer chemicals than making forest-based cellulose. It’s also a simpler procedure, in part because it doesn’t require processing such as chipping and debarking. In addition, it increases the economic value of oats and wheat, when leftovers from their production can be used as raw materials for cellulose extraction.”

Bernin says it is likely that several other agricultural waste products can be used for textile manufacture using the method her team developed. She is currently involved in an international project that has found, using the method in this study, that press-cake from grass from fields works very well to create dissolving pulp.

In continued studies that have yet to be published, the researchers have also taken another step towards practical application of the dissolving pulps, creating textile fibres based on pulp from wheat and the press-cake from grass.

Hope of using existing industries

In the long run, she sees good opportunities to use the pulp-and-paper industry, which already has technology and processes in place, to make dissolving pulp from agricultural waste.

“If we can make use of our existing industry and adjust their processes instead of building new production facilities, we’ve already come a long way,” she says.

The lead author of the study is Joanna Wojtasz, former postdoc at Chalmers and now a researcher at the innovation company Tree To Textile [TreeToTextile], which is one of the partners in the project.

“The study shows that there is a lot of potential in agricultural waste,” Wojtasz says. “We really shouldn’t disregard the opportunity to use this type of cellulose streams for our future clothing.”

Here’s a link to and a citation for the paper,

Producing dissolving pulp from agricultural waste by Joanna Wojtasz, Niclas Sjöstedt, Benjamin Storm, Manuel Mammen Parayil, Amanda Ulefors, Linnea Nilsson, Maria Alejandra Hernández Leal, Anne Michud, Åsa Östlund, Tomas Rydbergb and Diana Bernin. RSC Sustainability, 2025,3, 2210-2220 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1039/D4SU00534A First published 21 Mar 2025

This paper is open access.

With a wave of your finger you can control your electronic fabric

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A March 6, 2025 news item on ScienceDaily announces a durable electronic textile that can be washed,

A team of researchers from Nottingham Trent University (UK), Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) and Free University of Bozen-Bolzano (Italy) has created washable and durable magnetic field sensing electronic textiles — thought to be the first of their kind — which they say paves the way to transform use in clothing, as they report in the journal Communications Engineering. This technology will allow users to interact with everyday textiles or specialized clothing by simply pointing their finger above a sensor.

…

A March 5, 2025 Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf press release (also on EurekAlert but published March 6, 2025), which originated the news item, describes some possibilities that, until now, have been the province of science fiction,

The researchers show how they placed tiny flexible and highly responsive magnetoresistive sensors within braided textile yarns compatible with conventional textile manufacturing. The garment can be operated by the user across a variety of functions through the use of a ring or glove which would require a miniature magnet. The sensors are seamlessly integrated within the textile, allowing the position of the sensors to be indicated using dyeing or embroidering, acting as touchless controls or ‘buttons’.

The technology, which could even be in the form of a textile-based keyboard, can be integrated into clothing and other textiles and can work underwater and across different weather conditions. Importantly, the researchers argue, it is not prone to accidental activation unlike some capacitive sensors in textiles and textile-based switches. “By integrating the technology into everyday clothing people would be able to interact with computers, smart phones, watches and other smart devices, transforming their clothes into a wearable human-computer interface”, summarizes Dr. Denys Makarov from the Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research at HZDR.

Washable fashion for human-computer interaction

The technology could be applied to areas such as temperature or safety controls for specialized clothing, gaming, or interactive fashion – such as allowing its users to employ simple gestures to control LEDs or other illuminating devices embedded in the textiles. Furthermore, the research team demonstrates the technology on a variety of uses, including a functional armband allowing navigational control in a virtual reality environment, and a self-monitoring safety strap for a motorcycle helmet. “It is the first time that washable magnetic sensors have been unobtrusively integrated within textiles to be used for human-computer interactions”, emphasizes Prof. Niko Münzenrieder from Free University of Bozen-Bolzano.

“Our design could revolutionize electronic textiles for both specialized and everyday clothing,” said lead researcher Dr. Pasindu Lugoda, who is based in Nottingham Trent University’s Department of Engineering. He further remarks: “Tactile sensors on textiles vary in usefulness as accidental activation occurs when they rub or brush against surfaces. Touchless interaction reduces wear and tear. Importantly, our technology is designed for everyday use. It is machine washable and durable and does not impact the drape, or overall aesthetic appeal of the textile.”

Electronic textiles are becoming increasingly popular with wide-ranging uses, but the fusion of electronic functionality and textile fabrics can be very challenging. Such textiles have evolved and now rely on soft and flexible materials which are robust enough to endure washing and bending, but which are intuitive and reliable.

…

Here’s a link to and and a citation for the paper,

Submersible touchless interactivity in conformable textiles enabled by highly selective overbraided magnetoresistive sensors by Pasindu Lugoda, Eduardo Sergio Oliveros-Mata, Kalana Marasinghe, Rahul Bhaumik, Niccolò Pretto, Carlos Oliveira, Tilak Dias, Theodore Hughes-Riley, Michael Haller, Niko Münzenrieder & Denys Makarov. Communications Engineering volume 4, Article number: 33 (2025) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44172-025-00373-x Published: 25 February 2025

This paper is open access.

Stay warm with smart fabric that can heat up by 30°C after 10 minutes exposure to the sun

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Presumably this material would be used for clothing worn in much colder climates than what we experience in the Pacific Northwest where even during the winter a hike of 30°C would have you sweating like a pig.

A January 23, 2025 news item on phys.org announces the latest news about the fast-heating smart fabric,

A new type of cloth developed by researchers at the University of Waterloo [Ontario, Canada] can heat up when exposed to the sun thanks to innovative nanoparticles embedded in the fabric’s fibers. This advance represents an innovative and environmentally friendly option for staying warm in the winter.

…

A demonstration of how stretchy the smart fabric is. The fabric can stretch out by as much as five times its original shape. (University of Waterloo)

A January 23, 2025 University of Waterloo news release, which originated the news item, delves further into heated winter clothes and their latest collaborative research, Note: A link has been removed,

Wearable heated clothing typically relies on metals or ceramic heating elements to heat up and an external power source, which could pose safety risks for users.

This new cloth incorporates conductive polymer nanoparticles that can heat up to 30degrees Celsius when exposed to sunlight. The design requires no external power and can also change colour to visually monitor temperature fluctuations.

“The magic behind the temperature-sensitive colour change lies in the combination of nanoparticles embedded in the polymer fibres,” said Yuning Li, a professor in Waterloo’s Department of Chemical Engineering, and part of the research team that includes Chaoxia Wang and Fangqing Ge from the College of Textile Science and Engineering at Jiangnan University in China.

“The nanoparticles are activated by sunlight, enabling the fabric to absorb heat and convert it into warmth.”

The fibre is created using a scalable wet-spinning process, combining polyaniline and polydopamine nanoparticles to enhance light absorption and improve photothermal conversion. Thermoplastic polyurethane serves as the spinning matrix, while thermochromic dyes enable the reversible color-changing feature. The resultant fiber can be woven into fabric for wearable applications.

n addition to its temperature-changing capability, the Waterloo researcher’s new fabric can stretch out by as much as five times its original shape and withstand as much as two-dozen washings while still maintaining its function and appearance. Its reversible colour-changing ability provides a built-in temperature monitoring feature to ensure the wearer’s safety and convenience.

“We prioritized durability, ensuring the fabric could withstand repeated use and environmental exposure while maintaining its innovative properties,” said Li.

The Waterloo team is exploring more cost-effective alternatives to polydopamine to make the smart fabric technology more accessible. Future developments will focus on scaling the production process and reducing costs without compromising on the fabric’s innovative properties.

The fabric’s potential applications include aiding in cold rescue situations and solar-powered pet clothing to help keep them comfortable when outside during the winter.

The study was recently published in the Journal of Advanced Composites and Hybrid Materials.

Here’s a link to and a citation for the paper,

Color tunable photo-thermochromic elastic fiber for flexible wearable heater by Fangqing Ge, Jun Peng, Jialing Tan, Weidong Yu, Yuning Li, & Chaoxia Wang. Journal of Advanced Composites and Hybrid Materials Volume 7, article number 173, (2024) DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42114-024-00994-4 Published: 11 October 2024

This paper is behind a paywall.

For some earlier work from this international collaboration, I have a November 1, 2024 posting about energy harvesting fabric.

Clothes that can help combat rising temperatures

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This October 9, 2024 news item on ScienceDaily floats an idea that’s a big improvement over letting a bag of ice cubes melt on your body so you can cool down,

A team of international researchers has developed a natural fabric that urban residents could wear to counter rising temperatures in cities worldwide, caused by buildings, asphalt, and concrete.

As heatwaves become more prominent, cooling textiles that can be incorporated into clothes, hats, shoes and even building surfaces provide a glimpse into a future where greenhouse gas-emitting air conditioners may no longer be needed in our cities.

…

An October 10, 2024 University of South Australia (UNISA) press release (also on Eurekalert but published October 9, 2024), which originated the news item, offers more information about the cooling textiles, Note: Links have been removed,

Engineers from Zhengzhou University and the University of South Australia say the wearable fabric is designed to reflect sunlight and allow heat to escape, while blocking the sun’s rays and lowering the temperature. They have described the textiles in the latest issue of Science Bulletin.

The fabric promises to bring relief to millions of city dwellers experiencing warmer and more uncomfortable temperatures caused by global climate change and fewer green spaces.

UniSA visiting researcher Yangzhe Hou says the fabric leverages the principle of radiative cooling, a natural process where materials emit heat into the atmosphere, and ultimately into space.

“Unlike conventional fabrics that retain heat, these textiles are made of three layers that are engineered to optimise cooling,” Hou says.

The upper layer, made of polymethyl pentene fibres, allows heat to radiate effectively. The middle layer, composed of silver nanowires, enhances the fabric’s reflectivity, preventing additional heat from reaching the body. The bottom layer, made of wool, directs heat away from the skin, ensuring that wearers remain cool, even in the hottest urban environments.

“In our experiment, when placed vertically, the fabric was found to be 2.3°C cooler than traditional textiles, and up to 6.2°C cooler than the surrounding environment when used as a horizontal surface covering.

“The fabric’s ability to passively reduce temperatures offers a sustainable alternative to conventional air conditioning, providing energy savings and reducing the strain on power grids during heatwaves.”

Zhengzhou University researchers Jingna Zhang and Professor Xianhu Liu say the technology not only addresses the immediate problem of urban heat islands, but also contributes to broader efforts to mitigate climate change and move towards more sustainable urban living.

It is hoped the technology could be adapted for even broader applications, including construction material, outdoor furniture and urban planning.

While the fabric holds significant promise, researchers say the current production process is costly, and the long-term durability of the textiles needs further investigation and government support before it can be commercialised.

“Whether consumers are willing to pay more for wearable fabrics depend on the cooling effect, durability, comfort and their environmental awareness,” the researchers say.

Here’s a link to and a citation for the paper,

Radiation cooling textiles countering urban heat islands by Xianhu Liu, Jingna Zhang, Yangzhe Hou, Chuntai Liu, Changyu Shen. Science Bulletin Volume 69, Issue 21, 15 November 2024, Pages 3318-3320 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scib.2024.09.008 Available online 12 September 2024, Version of Record 5 November 2024

This paper is behind a paywall.

Prototype of nanofibre uniforms for Australian military

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CSIRO project lead Dr Yen Truong (L) and Head of Program Management at DMTC, Deepak Ganga (R) with the prototype uniform. Courtesy: CSIRO

I last had a story about the Australian military and advanced technology in a June 18, 2023 posting titled, “Mind-controlled robots based on graphene: an Australian research story” where soldiers were patrolling with mind-controlled robotic dogs.

This story is textile-oriented (h/t Azonano’s September 24, 2024 news item). A September 24, 2024 Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) press release announces a new kind of uniform,

Researchers at Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, have successfully developed a next-generation uniform prototype that employs nanofibres to safeguard Australian troops from chemical and biological threats.

The innovative material is a lightweight fabric that effectively filters out harmful particles while remaining light-weight and breathable, keeping the wearer comfortable in extreme temperatures.

CSIRO Manufacturing Research Unit Director, Dr Marcus Zipper said this textile innovation was the result of collaboration with industry and research partners, including DMTC.

“Our nanofibre technology, pioneered by CSIRO scientists, has the potential to significantly improve the level of protection soldiers’ uniforms provide and can also be used for non-military applications, including protecting emergency responders and hazmat crews,” Dr Zipper said.

“CSIRO research and development in materials science looks to improve how a particular material functions – we work across a broad range of advanced materials including metals, composites, polymers, adsorbents and nanofibres,” Dr Zipper said.

The initial phase of this project was funded by the Department of Defence. The successful nanofibre suit prototype was coordinated by DMTC Limited.

Also involved in supporting the project are Bruck Textiles, Defence Science and Technology Group and RMIT University.

Head of Program Management at DMTC, Deepak Ganga, said the new prototype uniform could deliver a significant leap forward in soldier protection, ensuring better comfort and mobility in harsh environments.

“This project demonstrates the power of collaboration. CSIRO’s scientific excellence in nanofibre research has been matched with the expertise of our partners in textiles, defence science, and manufacturing,” Mr Ganga said.

“This has resulted in a groundbreaking solution that offers benefits for Australian troops, for the first responder community and, potentially for Australia’s alliance partners,” he said.

CSIRO project lead Dr Yen Truong said key to the prototype’s success lies in its innovative nanofibre technology, developed by CSIRO scientists.

“We harnessed the unique properties of nanofibres to create a lightweight fabric that effectively filters out harmful particles while remaining highly breathable,” said Dr Truong.

“In rigorous testing, the prototype surpassed all performance targets for air filtration, air permeability, thermal comfort, and chemical protection.

“This means it effectively filters pollutants from the air, allows for breathability, maintains comfortable temperatures even in extreme conditions, and offers superior protection from hazardous chemicals.”

With DMTC Limited, Dr Truong and team are seeking funding to progress to the next stage of development, which is expected to involve field testing with Australian Defence Force personnel and further refinement of scaled manufacturing processes with industrial partners.

As you can see, they’re being quite close-lipped about how or from what the textile is constituted. This September 24, 2024 CSIRO article by Rebecca Willetts offers a little more information,

For soldiers on the frontline, chemical and biological hazards are a sobering threat.

Traditional bulky protective suits offer a crucial layer of protection but come at the expense of breathability and mobility. This can lead to discomfort, heat stress and even hinder performance in harsh environments – potentially jeopardising the wearer’s health.

Our researchers are working to revolutionise personal protective equipment. We’ve developed a next-generation suit prototype that prioritises safety and comfort for soldiers and first responders.  

…

The secret to our breakthrough lies in nanofibres – incredibly fine filaments at least 100 times thinner than a human hair. These tiny wonders have an extraordinary surface area that prevents harmful aerosol particles from passing through. What truly sets them apart is their breathability. Unlike traditional protective materials, nanofibre layers allow air to circulate freely – ensuring the wearer remains comfortable even in extreme conditions.

Senior researcher Dr Yen Truong is leading the project at CSIRO. She explains that nanofibres have the potential to revolutionise the way we think about protective gear. 

“They offer a unique combination of filtration performance while maintaining breathability. The latter represents a challenge that has long hampered the development of effective lower thermal burden protective suits,” she says. 

…

The Nano Protective Adsorbent Composite (NPAC) project, which was made possible with Federal Government support, began in 2017. 

Our team of scientists at CSIRO worked hand-in-hand with experts from Bruck Textiles, the Defence Science and Technology Group and RMIT University under the coordination of DMTC. This collaboration brought together knowledge and experience in nanotechnology, textile manufacturing, defence science and fashion design. 

The first success was the development of the innovative nanofibre-based fabric. This fabric acts as a barrier against harmful airborne particles while maintaining airflow. Scaling up this technology from the laboratory to commercial production presented a significant challenge.

“It’s easy enough to create a composite nanofibre material in a small lab setting, but transitioning to mass production is a different thing altogether,” Yen says. 

Our pilot-scale electrospinning machine produces the nanofibre. This larger-than-typical lab equipment played a crucial role in the production of larger quantities of fabric.

This demonstrated the technology’s potential for commercialisation, paving the way for real-world applications. A major breakthrough came in 2023 when Bruck Textiles, a leading Australian textile manufacturer, successfully produced 90 metres of the fabric. This material was then fabricated into a prototype uniform, which underwent rigorous testing. 

In testing it surpassed performance targets for air filtration, air permeability, thermal comfort, and chemical protection. This meant the suit not only protected the wearer from hazardous substances, but also offered comfort and mobility in demanding situations.

…

“We envision a future where firefighters, paramedics and other frontline workers can focus on their critical tasks without being hindered by heavy, cumbersome protective gear,” Yen says.

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It’s a long way from 90 meters of fabric to producing the quantities required to outfit military and other personnel. I wish them good luck!

As for more details about the nanofibers, I wasn’t able to find much about them in a relatively short online search but i did find more about Dr. Truong’s work here on her ResearchGate profile page.

First-of-its-kind thermally-insulated and breathable soft robotic clothing for use in extreme heat

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An August 15, 2024 news item on ScienceDaily announces research that may help make people safer in extreme heat,

As global warming intensifies, people increasingly suffer from extreme heat. For those working in a high-temperature environment indoors or outdoors, keeping thermally comfortable becomes particularly crucial. A team led by Dr Dahua SHOU, Limin Endowed Young Scholar in Advanced Textiles Technologies and Associate Professor of the School of Fashion and Textiles of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has developed first-of-its-kind thermally-insulated and breathable soft robotic clothing that can automatically adapt to changing ambient temperatures, thereby helping to ensure worker safety in hot environments. Their research findings have been published in the international interdisciplinary journal Advanced Science.

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An August 14, 2024 Hong Kong Polytechnic University press release (also on EurekAlert but published on August 15, 2024), which originated the news item, elaborates on the issue and on the proposed solution,

Maintaining a constant body temperature is one of the most critical requirements for living and working. High-temperature environments elevate energy consumption, leading to increased heat stress, thus exacerbating chronic conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, mental health issues and asthma, while also increasing the risk of infectious disease transmission. According to the World Health Organisation, globally, there were approximately 489,000 heat-related deaths annually between 2000 and 2019, with 45% occurring in Asia and 36% in Europe.

Thermal protective clothing is essential to safeguard individuals in extreme high-temperature environments, such as firefighters who need to be present at fires [sic] scenes and construction workers who work outdoors for extended periods. However, traditional gear has been limited by statically fixed thermal resistance, which can lead to overheating and discomfort in moderate conditions, while its heat insulation may not offer sufficient protection in extreme fire events and other high-temperature environments. To address this issue, Dr Shou and his team have developed intelligent soft robotic clothing for automatic temperature adaptation and thermal insulation in hot environments, offering superior personal protection and thermal comfort across a range of temperatures.

Their research was inspired by biomimicry in nature, like the adaptive thermal regulation mechanism in pigeons, which is mainly based on structural changes. Pigeons use their feathers to trap a layer of air surrounding their skin to reduce heat loss to the environment. When the temperature drops, they fluff up their feathers to trap a significant amount of still air, thereby increasing thermal resistance and retaining warmth.

The protective clothing developed by the team uses soft robotic textile for dynamic adaptive thermal management. Soft actuators, designed like a human network-patterned exoskeleton and encapsulating a non-toxic, non-flammable, low-boiling-point fluid, were strategically embedded within the clothing. This thermo-stimulated system turns the fluid from a liquid into a gas when the ambient temperature rises, causing expansion of soft actuators and thickening the textile matrix, thereby enhancing the gap of still air and doubling the thermal resistance from 0.23 to 0.48 Km²/W. The protective clothing can also keep the inner surface temperatures at least 10°C cooler than conventional heat-resistant clothing, even when the outer surface reaches 120°C.

This unique soft robotic textile, made by thermoplastic polyurethane, is soft, resilient and durable. Notably, it is far more skin-friendly and conformable than temperature-responsive clothing embedded with shape-memory alloys and is adjustable for a wide range of protective clothing. The soft actuators have exhibited no signs of leakage after undergoing rigorous standard washing tests. The porous, spaced knitting structure of the material can also significantly reduce convective heat transfer while maintaining high moisture breathability. Not relying on thermoelectric chips or circulatory liquid cooling systems for cooling or heat conduction, the light-weighted, soft robotic clothing can effectively regulate temperature itself without any energy consumption.

Dr Shou said, “Wearing heavy firefighting gear can feel extremely stifling. When firefighters exit a fire scene and remove their gear, they are sometimes drained nearly a pound of sweat from their boots [sic]. This has motivated me to develop a novel suit capable of adapting to various environmental temperatures while maintaining excellent breathability. Our soft robotic clothing can seamlessly adapt to different seasons and climates, multiple working and living conditions, and transitions between indoor and outdoor environments to help users experience constant thermal comfort under intense heat.”

Looking forward, Dr Shou finds the innovation to have a wide range of potential applications, from activewear, winter jackets, healthcare apparel and outdoor gear, to sustainable textile-based insulation for construction and buildings, contributing to energy-saving efforts. Supported by the Innovation and Technology Commission and the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel, Dr Shou and his team have also extended the thermo-adaptive concept to develop inflatable, breathable jackets and warm clothing. This soft robotic clothing is suitable for low-temperature environments or sudden temperature drops to aid those who are stranded in the wilderness to maintain normal body temperature.

Here’s a link to and a citation for the paper,

Soft Robotic Textiles for Adaptive Personal Thermal Management by Xiaohui Zhang, Zhaokun Wang, Guanghan Huang, Xujiang Chao, Lin Ye, Jintu Fan, Dahua Shou. Volume 11, Issue 21 June 5, 2024 2309605 First published online: 26 March 2024 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202309605

This paper is open access.

Converting body heat into electricity with smart fabric

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This bioenergy harvesting story is from the University of Waterloo (Ontario, Canada), where its researchers were part of an international collaboration. From an August 14, 2023 news item on ScienceDaily,

Imagine a coat that captures solar energy to keep you cozy on a chilly winter walk, or a shirt that can monitor your heart rate and temperature.Picture clothing athletes can wear to track their performance without the need for bulky battery packs.

University of Waterloo researchers have developed a smart fabric with these remarkable capabilities.

The fabric has the potential for energy harvesting, health monitoring, and movement tracking applications.

…

An August 14, 2024 University of Waterloo news release (also on EurekAlert), which originated the news item, provides more information about the new fabric and the research team, Note: A link has been removed,

The new fabric developed by a Waterloo research team can convert body heat and solar energy into electricity, potentially enabling continuous operation with no need for an external power source. Different sensors monitoring temperature, stress, and more can be integrated into the material.

It can detect temperature changes and a range of other sensors to monitor pressure, chemical composition, and more. One promising application is smart face masks that can track breath temperature and rate and detect chemicals in breath to help identify viruses, lung cancer, and other conditions.

“We have developed a fabric material with multifunctional sensing capabilities and self-powering potential,” said Yuning Li, a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering. “This innovation brings us closer to practical applications for smart fabrics.”

Unlike current wearable devices that often depend on external power sources or frequent recharging, this breakthrough research has created a novel fabric which is more stable, durable, and cost-effective than other fabrics on the market. 

This research, conducted in collaboration with Professor Chaoxia Wang and PhD student Jun Peng from the College of Textile Science and Engineering at Jiangnan University, showcases the potential of integrating advanced materials such as MXene and conductive polymers with cutting-edge textile technologies to advance smart fabrics for wearable technology.

Li, director of Waterloo’s Printable Electronic Materials Lab, highlighted the significance of this advancement, which is the latest in the university’s suite of technologies disrupting health boundaries.

“AI technology is evolving rapidly, offering sophisticated signal analysis for health monitoring, food and pharmaceutical storage, environmental monitoring, and more. However, this progress relies on extensive data collection, which conventional sensors, often bulky, heavy, and costly, cannot meet,” Li said. “Printed sensors, including those embedded in smart fabrics, are ideal for continuous data collection and monitoring. This new smart fabric is a step forward in making these applications practical.”

The next phase of research will focus on further enhancing the fabric’s performance and integrating it with electronic components in collaboration with electrical and computer engineers. Future developments may include a smartphone app to track and transmit data from the fabric to healthcare professionals, enabling real-time, non-invasive health monitoring and everyday use.

Here’s a link to and a citation for the paper,

MXene-based thermoelectric fabric integrated with temperature and strain sensing for health monitoring by Jun Peng, Fangqing Ge, Weiyi Han, Tao Wu, Jinglei Tang, Yuning Li, Chaoxia Wang. Journal of Materials Science & Technology Volume 212, 20 March 2025, Pages 272-280

This paper is behind a paywall but you will be able to read snippets in a preview.

Designers make dissolvable textiles from gelatin

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Am I the only one wondering what happens if your textiles start dissolving early? This excerpt from a June 17, 2024 news item on ScienceDaily announcing the research does not address my quandary,

Introducing the fashion of the future: A T-shirt that you can wear a few times, then, when you get bored with it, dissolve and recycle to make a new shirt.

Researchers at the ATLAS Institute at the University of Colorado Boulder are now one step closer to that goal. In a new study, the team of engineers and designers developed a DIY machine that spins textile fibers made of materials like sustainably sourced gelatin. The group’s “biofibers” feel a bit like flax fiber and dissolve in hot water in minutes to an hour.

…

The quandary is addressed in a manner of speaking in a June 17, 2024 University of Colorado at Boulder news release (also on EurekAlert) by Daniel Strain, which originated the news item, that also gives more context for the research and explains what the researchers are hoping to achieve, Note: A link has been removed,

“When you don’t want these textiles anymore, you can dissolve them and recycle the gelatin to make more fibers,” said Michael Rivera, a co-author of the new research and assistant professor in the ATLAS Institute and Department of Computer Science.

The study tackles a growing problem around the world: In 2018 alone, people in the United States added more than 11 million tons of textiles to landfills, according to the Environmental Protection Agency—nearly 8% of all municipal solid waste produced that year. 

The researchers envision a different path for fashion.

Their machine is small enough to fit on a desk and cost just $560 to build. Lázaro Vásquez [Eldy Lázaro Vásquez, doctoral student in the ATLAS Institute,] hopes the device will help designers around the world experiment with making their own biofibers.

“You could customize fibers with the strength and elasticity you want, the color you want,” she said. “With this kind of prototyping machine, anyone can make fibers. You don’t need the big machines that are only in university chemistry departments.”

Spinning threads

The study arrives as fashionistas, roboticists and more are embracing a trend known as “smart textiles.” Levi’s Trucker Jacket with Jacquard by Google, for example, looks like a denim coat but includes sensors that can connect to your smartphone. 

But such clothing of the future comes with a downside, Rivera said:

“That jacket isn’t really recyclable. It’s difficult to separate the denim from the copper yarns and the electronics.”

To imagine a new way of making clothes, the team started with gelatin. This springy protein is common in the bones and hooves of many animals, including pigs and cows. Every year, meat producers throw away large volumes of gelatin that doesn’t meet requirements for cosmetics or food products like Jell-O. (Lázaro Vásquez bought her own gelatin, which comes as a powder, from a local butcher shop).

She and her colleagues decided to turn that waste into wearable treasure.

The group’s machine uses a plastic syringe to heat up and squeeze out droplets of a liquid gelatin mixture. Two sets of rollers in the machine then tug on the gelatin, stretching it out into long, skinny fibers—not unlike a spider spinning a web from silk. In the process, the fibers also pass through liquid baths where the researchers can introduce bio-based dyes or other additives to the material. Adding a little bit of genipin, an extract from fruit, for example, makes the fibers stronger.

Dissolving duds

Lázaro Vásquez said designers may be able to do anything they can imagine with these sorts of textiles.

As a proof of concept, the researchers made small sensors out of gelatin fibers and cotton and conductive yarns, similar to the makeup of a Jacquard jacket. The team then submerged these patches in warm water. The gelatin dissolved, releasing the yarns for easy recycling and reuse.

Designers could tweak the chemistry of the fibers to make them a little more resilient, Lázaro Vásquez said—you wouldn’t want your jacket to disappear in the rain. [emphases mine] They could also play around with spinning similar fibers from other natural ingredients. Those materials include chitin, a component of crab shells, or agar-agar, which comes from algae.

“We’re trying to think about the whole lifecycle of our textiles,” Lázaro Vásquez said. “That begins with where the material is coming from. Can we get it from something that normally goes to waste?”

Here’s a link to and a citation for the paper,

Desktop Biofibers Spinning: An Open-Source Machine for Exploring Biobased Fibers and Their Application Towards Sustainable Smart Textile Design by Eldy S. Lazaro Vasquez, Mirela Alistar, Laura Devendorf, and Michael L. Rivera. CHI ’24: Proceedings of the CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems May 2024 Article No.: 856, Pages 1 – 18 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1145/3613904.3642387 Published: 11 May 2024

This paper is behind a paywall.

Let’s hope somebody (researcher or designer or ???) take a more extensive approach to solving the problem of fabrics that could dissolve prematurely.