Difference between technical textile and smart textile
As I am currently working on a literature review about technical textile in the apparel industry and their procurement process, I came across different articles that confuse me a little.
Is there a difference between Technical textile and smart textile or they're just different names for the same concept?
a smart textile, generally, an external functionality is added like electronic components, special polymeric substances, special finishing. In technical textile, textile materials are designed in specific ways (nonwovens, wovens, braiding, composites, etc) such that it can be used for a specific technical application. Certain smart textile material can be used for certain technical applications, however, at the core they are different.
Often the name technical textiles is used for textiles for technical applications (agriculture, road, etc.), while the name smart textiles is used instead for textiles that react with the environment (temperature, light, heartbeat, etc.).
Technical textile means the textile materials which are used for technical issue not for clothing or fashion. For example, when Sewing thread is used in garments making it is not a technical textile. But when it is used as surgical suture then it is called technical textile. Besides, when a braid (draw-string) is used in a hoodie it is not a technical textile. But when it is used for a load bearing purpose it is called technical textile. etc. Moreover, there are a lot example for technical textiles regarding their definition. As: Agrotech, Geotech, Meditech, Automotive tech, etc.
Smart textile means the textile materials which are environmentally sensitive. Textile materials which can react in the presence of various stimuli are called smart textiles. For example, when a textile material can change its behavior in the presence of acidic and alkaline medium individually it is called smart textile. Besides, some textiles can change its behavior in the presence of temperature, light, blood circulation, air pressure, water pressure, etc. are called smart textiles.
Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration IZM
If you characterize technical textiles with their use in technical, not fashion/garment applications (as stated by Abdur Rahim Munna), then you can't put smart textiles as a subcategory of technical textiles as they can also be used for non-technical applications in the form of smart clothing/garments. Rather, smart texiles can be technical textiles and technical textile can be smart textiles but not all smart textiles are technical textiles and vice versa.
In addition, I would add that although most definitions of smart textiles only require a (predictable) response to external stimuli, other sources only include those with digital components (also labeled e-textiles), for example a report by the european commission found here:
If you want to form a link between smart textiles and other textile categories, instead of smart textiles being a subcategory of technical textiles, they are a subcategory of functional textiles - textiles that possess additional functions apart from the basic textile functions of (basic) protection, wellbeing and fashion.
smart textile are the textiles which can sense its surrounding and can react with it by changing its shape, state, color, or other behaviors on the other hand, technical textile are the textiles used for fulfillment of specific purpose(s) rather than aesthetic appearance or use like textiles use for transporting energy, geotextiles, agrotech, sport-tech etc.
Self functionality clothing such as color changing fabrics are Smart Textiles, while technical textiles is a broad field which also includes smart textiles, any fabric not naturally originated, created for purpose is known as technical textiles, for example if we are doing wet extrusion for Polyester and mixing it with spandex fiber its a technical textile, whereas if we mix same polyester with electro-luminicent category now it became smart textile, self sensing.
Congratulations, Your recent publication has been provisionally selected for Research Awards and recommended by our scientific committee. So kindly nominate with your recent research profile/resume through an online submission system. After a few steps of profile verification and registration processes you will get your Research Award.
Selected Award Category: Best Research Award
Note: Submit your updated profile under the selected award category.
With regards,
The Award Manager,
Research Awards
An International Research Awards
ScienceFather
There was also a nomination link, which I removed from the text above and that I did not try to open, as well as the abstract of a paper that was accepted a few days ago and made available online about 10 hours before that mail was being sent. According to the website (https://sciencefather.com/awards/), one needs to pay a registration fee in order to apply for an award. Is this a new scam? Thanks for your help.
Methods of incorporating electronic functions in textiles are to integrate electronic components into finished garments or technical textiles, or to manufacture conductive yarns and produce textiles and textile structures which have electronic functions. An example of the second method is the multi-functional textile push-button matrix. This is for...
The recently available most of the piezoelectric devices are either inorganic or synthetic organic based. However, they are not cost effective, not eco‐friendly and preparation of the final materials requires complicated engineering processes. To mitigate this issue, studies on feasibility of biomaterials based piezoelectric devices have drawn grea...
Smart textiles are structures capable of detecting, reacting, and adapting to a large number of stimuli such as electrical, magnetic, thermal, optical, acoustic, mechanical, and chemical. World consumption of technical textiles has been steadily increasing from $65 to $100 billion in 2010. World consumption of technical and smart textiles is 19.7 m...