Advanced Functional Materials for Textile

**243**

**Chapter 14**

**Abstract**

*Dilan Canan Çelikel*

typical applications of active smart textiles.

also be called as the next-generation textiles.

phase-changing materials

**1. Introduction**

Smart E-Textile Materials

Smart textiles are one of the areas that provides added value to textile materials. It is a sector that has been developed with new technologies, new fibers, and textile materials. The production of smart or intelligent textiles cooperate with other branches of science like nanotechnology, materials science, design, electronics, and computer engineering, etc. Smart textiles are classified into three groups as passive smart textiles, active smart textiles and ultra smart textiles according to their performance characteristics. Passive smart textiles are the first generation of smart textiles and sense the external conditions; for instance, UV protecting clothing, conductive fibers, etc. As active smart textiles respond to external conditions, ultra smart textiles sense, react, and adopt themselves to conditions. Shape memory materials, chromic materials, heat storage, and thermo-regulated fabrics are the

**Keywords:** smart textiles, E-textiles, intelligent textiles, color-changing materials,

Textiles, with the basic characteristics of clothing, protection, and esthetics, are the indispensable part of our lives, but in recent years with the development of technology and the variation of requirements, the demand to smart materials and intelligent textiles grows increasingly all over the world. In other words, technology has also taken control of textile industry. Smart textiles have superior performance and functionalities for the applications ranging from simple to more complicated uses such as military, healthcare, sportswear, etc. Smart or intelligent textiles can

Many classifications related to smart textiles are available in the literature. In this chapter, the classifications based on the esthetic and performance functions are mentioned as two categories. Esthetic smart textiles use the technology for fashion design, because of their ability to light up and change color. Light-emitting clothes and luminous dresses are the typical and commercial examples for esthetic smart textiles. As for the performance, smart textiles are classified into three categories as

Passive smart textiles can only sense the environment, as they are just sensors. UV protecting clothing, conductive fibers, plasma-treated clothing, and waterproof fabrics are the typical examples of passive smart textiles. Active smart textiles can sense the stimuli from the environment and also react to them; besides the sensor function, they also have an actuator function. Phase change materials, shape memory materials, and heat sensitive dyes are active smart textile applications.

passive smart textiles, active smart textiles, and ultra smart textiles.
