Kevlar, Vectran, sheet memory polymers - today's coolest, most useful industrial materials are changing not just how we make textiles but what we can do with them. A fabric made of multifilament yarn stretches around a human heart, allowing it to beat normally yet preventing it from enlarging; a braided polyester rope stays flexible but is as strong as steel cable. Starting in April, these - and some 150 other examples of super-engineered fibers - will be on display at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York City. No mere art exhibit, the Extreme Textiles collection demonstrates how chemistry, biotech, and nanotech are letting age-old textile-making techniques find high tech applications. Here are a few samples of how engineering and aesthetics mesh.
Krypton motorcycle racing gloves:
Kangaroo leather gloves get extra protection from shock-absorbing foam padding and Kevlar embedded in a ceramic polymer matrix.
Storm zipper:
Proprietary thermo-plastic teeth and tape let this extreme sports zipper stand up to wind, water, salt, and ultraviolet rays. The next version will resist corrosive gas and chemicals, too.
Smart Rope:
Metal fibers braided into polyester rope sense weak points. In a ship's rigging, each rope would transémit its status to the bridge.
WilliamsF1 BMW FW26:
It's fabric that does 229 mph. Carbon aramid epoxy composite in the chassis yields an ultrafast Formula One racer that weighs less than 1,400 pounds.
Electrospun fiber mat:
Electrospinning creates fabrics out of nanofibers - this polyethylene oxide mask filters particles as small as 300 nanometers.
CorCap cardiac support device:
Polyester multiéfilament yarn - knitted on the warp for flexibility - supports a beating heart and keeps it from enlarging.
- Jessie Scanlon
credit Intersport Fashions West Inc.
Krypton motorcycle racing gloves
credit Acorn Cardiovascular Inc.
Storm zipper
credit Riri USA Inc.
Smart rope
credit Cary Wolinsky/Aurora
WilliamsF1 BMW FW26
credit Squid:Labs LLC
Electrospun fiber mat
credit BMW WilliamsF1 Team
CorCap cardiac support device
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