By: Henne van Heeren
Perhaps surprisingly the earliest commercialized
applications of nanotechnology are seen in lifestyle applications. Textile and
cosmetics are among the first products to use nanomaterials. This overview discusses
these and other examples of nanotechnology materials and technologies in
lifestyle applications.
Textile
Treating textiles with nanotechnology materials
is a method to improve the properties of the textile, making it longer durable,
have nicer colours etc. Nanotechnology can also be used to add new functionalities
like energy storage and communications. The next figures show some of the
opportunities offered by nanotechnology to improve the functionality of
textiles.

Some interesting examples of nano improved
textiles currently on the market are:
- Stain repellent and
wrinkle-resistant threads woven in textiles.
- Bodywarmers use Phase Change
Materials (PCMs) responding to changing body temperatures.
- Nanosocks treated with silver
nanoparticles. The silver acts against infection and odour.
Bulletproof vests are another item profiting
from nanotechnology. Nanotube fibers are used to make a material seventeen
times tougher than the Kevlar. Future developments are to use nanotechnology to
create Smart and Interactive Textiles (SMIT) that can sense electrical,
thermal, chemical, magnetic, or other stimuli. Currently however, the major
part of advanced textiles are relative low tech products like photochromic t-shirts.