Specialty Fabrics Review June 2022 - 39

The NEXT lab uses a " technology
innovation through engineering design
approach " that includes research in
materials, textile electronic systems
and student projects that are an
integral part of their education in
textile technologies. Students presented
summaries of projects they are now
working on as part of the lab tour.
Student Research Showcase
Meanwhile, a Student Research
Showcase was available for attendees
to peruse projects underway, with
time for unstructured conversations
with the researchers. Among them
was an advanced, durable textile
designed for combat shown by Ph.D.
candidate Zoe Newman. In addition
to its flame retardance and superior
moisture management, the textile has
highly stretchable auxetic properties.
Auxetic materials do the opposite of
materials, generally, and get thicker
when stretched.
Ph.D. candidate Beth Kirkwood
presented her study concerning
knitting conductive yarns. Using a
novel three-point bending test for
yarn, Kirkwood has developed the
basis for a new predictive yarn model
simulating the knitting process, which
includes machine parameters such as
speed, stitch length and gauge.
Walaa Enab, a third-year doctoral
student, at Wilson College of
Textiles, Fibrous and polymer science
department, is working on a unique
technique for embedding aligned
sheets of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) into
the interlaminar region of laminated
composite structures to examine the
CNTs sheets' ability to improve the
transverse mechanical properties.
Students also presented new
designs for monitoring sensors in
health and wellness applications (see
" Breakthroughs, " p. 16, for more).
The ASSIST partnership
Elena Veety, education director and
operations manager, ASSIST Center
at NC State described the university's
center, which is headquartered at the
university, but the center has several
other partnering institutions.
The center's research areas include
energy harvesting and storage, lowpower
sensing, low-power electronics,
e-textiles, and system integration and
data. While much of the research
underway has applications in the
health and wellness market for people,
the center also does research in animal
health, and agriculture exploring
" wearables for plants. " It also offers
rapid prototyping capabilities.
The Center's researchers are always
looking to future developments, even
though " integration of sensing in
textiles is still a challenge. " Veety says,
" Our vision is not just wearables, [but]
being able to implement multi-modal
data streams. "
Assessing the industry
The Summit invested a good portion
of its time in taking stock of the
state of the smart fabrics industry.
Dr. David Hinks, dean of the Wilson
College of Textiles, moderated a panel
that generated a lively conversation
between the panel participants and
the audience.
Tanya Wade, entrepreneur intake
administrator, Manufacturing
Solutions Center, Conover, N.C., made
note of the acute need to find workers.
" All of our manufacturers that we work
with, that's the number one problem
they face, " she says.
Audience members echoed the
need for workers and other resources.
" Where do you find the technicians? "
one asked. " It's going to take all of us-
an army of all of us-to bring textile
manufacturing back to the U.S. "
SpecialtyFabricsReview.com 39
" The world is
moving toward more
sustainable materials. I
don't think we're going
to recycle our way out of
this. The U.S. ought to
focus on how to become
the leader. Brands and
consumers want this. "
Dr. Michael A. Saltzberg
Global Business Director,
Dupont Biomaterials
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