O o d h e a d p u b L i s h I n g L i m I t e d

10.3
Current commercial applications of
nanotechnology to wool
At the time of writing, commercial applications of nanotechnology to wool
were limited to antimicrobial treatments using nanoparticle silver and stain
resist treatments. A number of companies produce nanoparticle silver
antimicrobial finishes for wool. Treatment conditions for the application of
these finishes are available from the supplier. These products include Nano-
Tex Silver™ (NanoTex), nanoHorizons SmartSilver™ (NanoHorizons Inc),
Ultra-Fresh Silpure™ (Thomson Research Associates) and Nano Tech AB™
(Australian Wool Innovation).
Most nanotechnology stain-resist finishes claim to be effective on wool,
however recent investigation funded by Australian Wool Innovation suggested
that many products were not as effective as claimed. Many new generation
stain blockers do not require high-temperature reactivation after washing
and, for example, Advanced Teflon™ (DuPont), Oleophobol 7713™
(Huntsman) and Rucostar EEE™ (Rudolf Chemie) are effective on wool.
However some similar products do not retain their oil repellence unless heat
reactivated. One interesting application of nanotechnology stain resist finishes
is QuickDry Merino™ (Australian Wool Innovation). By reducing the surface
energy of the wool fibres the mass of water retained by the fabric after
washing is reduced, giving a significant reduction in drying time.
© 2009 Woodhead Publishing Limited

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