A PhD student at Nottingham Trent University is pioneering so-called ‘space cloth’, a non-woven material made from yarn that has potential as an e-textile.

Sonia Reynolds brought the idea to the university’s Advanced Textile Research Group and is further developing the fabric’s novel manufacturing process under the direction of Prof Tilak Dias and Dr Amanda Briggs-Goode, of the School of Art and Design.

Unlike traditional woven or knitted materials that are made by the interloping or interlacing of yarns, the new material – dubbed Zephlinear – is made by yarn surface entanglement.

Reynolds said: “This is a real breakthrough for the textiles industry. It’s the first non-woven material made from yarn and promises major benefits for the future of clothing, and more.

“Because of the material’s linear channels of yarn, it has great potential to be used as a smart textile. In particular, we believe it lends itself well to being embedded with microcapsules containing medication or scent, to either help deliver drugs to specific parts of the body or to create antibacterial and aromatic clothing.

“As the material is visually different, it has potential to be used for other applications as well, such as wall coverings, in addition to clothing.

“And because it’s much less labour intensive to make than knit or weave fabrics, it’s a more environmentally friendly material to produce as well.”

Reynolds presented the patent pending material the Wearable Technology Show, USA. Zephlinear was given the nickname ‘space cloth’ due to its appearance and its e-textile capabilities.

According to NTU, research shows that it is strongest and most efficient when created from natural yarns such as one hundred per cent wool, hair and wool/silk mixtures, though it can also be made from synthetic yarns.

Professor Dias, who leads the university’s Advanced Textiles Research Group, said: “Zephlinear is a remarkable development in an industry which is advancing at an incredible pace.

“We believe it has huge potential for textiles, and we have already found that it combines well with e-textile technologies such as heated textiles or textiles with embedded LEDs.

“As a fabric it is very lightweight and flexible, and it retracts back to its original shape well after it has been stretched.

“We’re very much looking forward to developing the material further and feel certain that it will help provide people with smarter and more environmentally friendly clothing in the future.”

Visit the UK’s dedicated jobsite for engineering professionals. Each month, we’ll bring you hundreds of the latest roles from across the industry.

It looks awful – it will catch on everything and tear easily. One more useless ‘innovation’ from an expensively funded British University, of which there are so many..

It will not tear easily – fibre breaking strength and breaking force of 600 cN (BTS ISO 2062). As in the 3 current manufacturing processes, interlacing (weave), interloping (Knit) and non-woven (fibre bonding), the novel FOYSE manufacturing process can be adjusted to accommodate the required end use. From hardware flooring to light weight lace effect fashions. As for design taste, I think it is very pretty. Visit the zephlinear website to keep updated with this manufacturing advancement.

and watch out for Malimo and Maliwatt stitch bonding patents: The former E German textile machinery builder Textima (who supplied most of the former E European textile firms +USSR) were really very innovative.

Mark Allen Engineering Limited Registered Office: Mark Allen Group, St Jude’s Church, Dulwich Road, London, SE24 0PB Registered in England No. 11569365