National Taipei University of Technology researchers have developed a new fabric-coating technique to produce quick-drying cloth, which they said could help the textile industry carve a niche in the global market even in the face of China’s “red supply chain.”
University professor Rwei Syang-peng (芮祥鵬) yesterday said that his team took two years to develop an incomplete surface-coating technique for unidirectional moisture transport and sweat diffusion, which could drain sweat swiftly and achieve a better cooling effect than Gore-Tex fabrics, a waterproof and breathable material.
Water-repellent fabrics are created using what is called the lotus effect, Rwei said. Microscopic structures on the leaves of the lotus plant prevent water droplets from attaching to the leaves, so water sits on papillae on the leaf’s surface without soaking in.
Water-repellent fabrics have a nanoscopic hairy structure on their surface that mimics the papillae on lotus leaves to keep out liquids, Rwei added.
The team’s incomplete coating technique leaves parts of the fabric “naked” — not covered by the water-repelling, hairy structures — so moisture can be swiftly drained through uncoated areas, Rwei said, adding that the incomplete coating could dissipate moisture three times faster than conventional gauze materials.
Gore-Tex fabrics are generally made into jackets or overcoats because they are too rough to be worn in contact with the skin, but the team’s technique can be used to make fabric with a gentle texture that could be made into lingerie and sportswear, he said, adding that they have been approached by international clothing companies.
The incomplete coating technique can be used on many fabrics, including cotton, nylon and polyester, he said.
“Our technique could give Taiwanese businesses an edge over Chinese competitors and help the textile industry carve a niche in the global market of functional fabrics, which has an annual value of US$70 billion to US$80 billion,” he said.
The team also developed a new technique to coat Teflon on kitchenware or high-temperature conveyor belts in food factories.
The team uses specially designed slot die to inject Teflon solution onto glass fiber, which is heated to 320oC to firmly attach the solution, Rwei said. The technique could the amount of Teflon solution used by 60 percent compared with the traditional dipping method, while no toxic residue would be left on the finished surface.
DEEPER REVIEW: After receiving 19 hospital reports of suspected food poisoning, the Taipei Department of Health applied for an epidemiological investigation A buffet restaurant in Taipei’s Xinyi District (信義) is to be fined NT$3 million (US$91,233) after it remained opened despite an order to suspend operations following reports that 32 people had been treated for suspected food poisoning, the Taipei Department of Health said yesterday. The health department said it on Tuesday received reports from hospitals of people who had suspected food poisoning symptoms, including nausea, vomiting, stomach pain and diarrhea, after they ate at an INPARADISE (饗饗) branch in Breeze Xinyi on Sunday and Monday. As more than six people who ate at the restaurant sought medical treatment, the department ordered the
A strong continental cold air mass and abundant moisture bringing snow to mountains 3,000m and higher over the past few days are a reminder that more than 60 years ago Taiwan had an outdoor ski resort that gradually disappeared in part due to climate change. On Oct. 24, 2021, the National Development Council posted a series of photographs on Facebook recounting the days when Taiwan had a ski resort on Hehuanshan (合歡山) in Nantou County. More than 60 years ago, when developing a branch of the Central Cross-Island Highway, the government discovered that Hehuanshan, with an elevation of more than 3,100m,
Taiwan’s population last year shrank further and births continued to decline to a yearly low, the Ministry of the Interior announced today. The ministry published the 2024 population demographics statistics, highlighting record lows in births and bringing attention to Taiwan’s aging population. The nation’s population last year stood at 23,400,220, a decrease of 20,222 individuals compared to 2023. Last year, there were 134,856 births, representing a crude birth rate of 5.76 per 1,000 people, a slight decline from 2023’s 135,571 births and 5.81 crude birth rate. This decrease of 715 births resulted in a new record low per the ministry’s data. Since 2016, which saw
SECURITY: To protect the nation’s Internet cables, the navy should use buoys marking waters within 50m of them as a restricted zone, a former navy squadron commander said A Chinese cargo ship repeatedly intruded into Taiwan’s contiguous and sovereign waters for three months before allegedly damaging an undersea Internet cable off Kaohsiung, a Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times) investigation revealed. Using publicly available information, the Liberty Times was able to reconstruct the Shunxing-39’s movements near Taiwan since Double Ten National Day last year. Taiwanese officials did not respond to the freighter’s intrusions until Friday last week, when the ship, registered in Cameroon and Tanzania, turned off its automatic identification system shortly before damage was inflicted to a key cable linking Taiwan to the rest of
RSS