National Taipei University of Technology researchers have developed a new fabric-coating technique to produce quick-drying cloth, which they said could help the textile industry carve a niche in the global market even in the face of China’s “red supply chain.”
University professor Rwei Syang-peng (芮祥鵬) yesterday said that his team took two years to develop an incomplete surface-coating technique for unidirectional moisture transport and sweat diffusion, which could drain sweat swiftly and achieve a better cooling effect than Gore-Tex fabrics, a waterproof and breathable material.
Water-repellent fabrics are created using what is called the lotus effect, Rwei said. Microscopic structures on the leaves of the lotus plant prevent water droplets from attaching to the leaves, so water sits on papillae on the leaf’s surface without soaking in.
Water-repellent fabrics have a nanoscopic hairy structure on their surface that mimics the papillae on lotus leaves to keep out liquids, Rwei added.
The team’s incomplete coating technique leaves parts of the fabric “naked” — not covered by the water-repelling, hairy structures — so moisture can be swiftly drained through uncoated areas, Rwei said, adding that the incomplete coating could dissipate moisture three times faster than conventional gauze materials.
Gore-Tex fabrics are generally made into jackets or overcoats because they are too rough to be worn in contact with the skin, but the team’s technique can be used to make fabric with a gentle texture that could be made into lingerie and sportswear, he said, adding that they have been approached by international clothing companies.
The incomplete coating technique can be used on many fabrics, including cotton, nylon and polyester, he said.
“Our technique could give Taiwanese businesses an edge over Chinese competitors and help the textile industry carve a niche in the global market of functional fabrics, which has an annual value of US$70 billion to US$80 billion,” he said.
The team also developed a new technique to coat Teflon on kitchenware or high-temperature conveyor belts in food factories.
The team uses specially designed slot die to inject Teflon solution onto glass fiber, which is heated to 320oC to firmly attach the solution, Rwei said. The technique could the amount of Teflon solution used by 60 percent compared with the traditional dipping method, while no toxic residue would be left on the finished surface.
Taiwan is stepping up plans to create self-sufficient supply chains for combat drones and increase foreign orders from the US to counter China’s numerical superiority, a defense official said on Saturday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, the official said the nation’s armed forces are in agreement with US Admiral Samuel Paparo’s assessment that Taiwan’s military must be prepared to turn the nation’s waters into a “hellscape” for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Paparo, the commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, reiterated the concept during a Congressional hearing in Washington on Wednesday. He first coined the term in a security conference last
A magnitude 4.3 earthquake struck eastern Taiwan's Hualien County at 8:31am today, according to the Central Weather Administration (CWA). The epicenter of the temblor was located in Hualien County, about 70.3 kilometers south southwest of Hualien County Hall, at a depth of 23.2km, according to the administration. There were no immediate reports of damage resulting from the quake. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effect of a temblor, was highest in Taitung County, where it measured 3 on Taiwan's 7-tier intensity scale. The quake also measured an intensity of 2 in Hualien and Nantou counties, the CWA said.
The Overseas Community Affairs Council (OCAC) yesterday announced a fundraising campaign to support survivors of the magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28, with two prayer events scheduled in Taipei and Taichung later this week. “While initial rescue operations have concluded [in Myanmar], many survivors are now facing increasingly difficult living conditions,” OCAC Minister Hsu Chia-ching (徐佳青) told a news conference in Taipei. The fundraising campaign, which runs through May 31, is focused on supporting the reconstruction of damaged overseas compatriot schools, assisting students from Myanmar in Taiwan, and providing essential items, such as drinking water, food and medical supplies,
New Party Deputy Secretary-General You Chih-pin (游智彬) this morning went to the National Immigration Agency (NIA) to “turn himself in” after being notified that he had failed to provide proof of having renounced his Chinese household registration. He was one of more than 10,000 naturalized Taiwanese citizens from China who were informed by the NIA that their Taiwanese citizenship might be revoked if they fail to provide the proof in three months, people familiar with the matter said. You said he has proof that he had renounced his Chinese household registration and demanded the NIA provide proof that he still had Chinese