A new coat for textiles
A NEW $3.4 million research and development project at Deakin University is being hailed as a major step forward in developing innovative technologies for the textile industry.
The three-year project cofunded by the Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre aims to scale newly developed advanced coating technologies, which will result in better durability for textile coatings and reduced energy, water and chemical consumption during the manufacturing process.
The project involves a partnership of Deakin’s Institute for Frontier Materials, technology expert Xefco and Geelong engineering equipment company Proficiency Contracting.
Deakin and Xefco researchers have developed a novel atmospheric plasma coating system that project lead Weiwei Lei said reduced the costs and complexities of existing equipment used to apply coatings, such as those that make textiles waterrepellent, absorbent, flame retardant or odour free.
“We will now aim to improve and optimise the functional coating process, to get this lab-scale technology ready for production testing at a textile mill and global commercial use by 2021,” said Dr Lei, the institute’s senior research fellow in plasma.
By developing, testing and manufacturing the atmospheric plasma coating system in Australia, tapping into a local network of manufacturers, Xefco will establish an advanced manufacturing supply chain that provides manufacturers opportunities in the sector.
The Innovative Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre’s chief executive and managing director, David Chuter, said the project was a great example of how research-led innovation had the potential to disrupt and transform the textile manufacturing and processing industry — not only in Australia, but globally.
“Over the past decade there have been significant developments in the application technologies, machinery and processes for textile coating that have enhanced and extended the range of functional performance of textiles,” Mr Chuter said.
“The next decade will be about innovative textile manufacturing technologies and processes that are environmentally friendly and resource efficient.
“The novel atmospheric plasma system that Xefco and IFM are developing will set the path for the future viability of the industry.”
Xefco chief executive Thomas Hussey said the technologies in development would bring a much-needed step change to the textile processing industry by elevating performance while reducing the environmental footprint in an otherwise traditionally unsustainable sector.