The term technical textile is a term introduced in the 1980s to describe the products and production techniques that were developed for their technical features and performances rather than their appearance and aesthetic characteristics. Because, when the term industrial textile was insufficient to express the richness and complexity of this rapidly growing field, the term technical textile was replaced by it. However, the term industrial textiles is still widely used in the USA.
When it comes to technical textiles, it is understood that textile materials and products produced primarily for their technical performance and functional properties, rather than their aesthetic and decorative features. The materials that are specially designed, used in any product or process or alone to fulfill a certain feature are called technical textiles.
Technical textiles are expensive and high value-added products. They are products with superior performance features such as resistant to chemicals, weather conditions, micro-organisms, high strength and non-flammability. These products are also used in areas other than textiles; However, the buyer does not personally use the technical textile product, it is used as part of any other material, in the production of that material.
Usage Areas of Technical Textiles:
1) Agricultural Textiles (agrotech): Textiles used in agriculture, gardening, forestry and aquaculture,
2) Construction Textiles (buildtech): Textiles used in buildings and constructions,
3) Technical Clothing (clothtech): Lining and similar technical components of clothes and shoes,
4) Geological Textiles (geotech): Geological textiles and civil engineering materials,
5) Home Textiles (hometech): Technical components of furniture, home textiles and floor coverings,
6) Industrial Textiles (indutech): Filtration, transportation, cleaning, etc. textiles for industrial applications,
7) Medical Textiles (medtech): Textiles for hygienic and medical products,
8) Transportation Textiles (mobiltech): Textiles for automotive, ships, trains and aircraft,
9) Ecological Textiles (oekotech): Textiles for environmental protection,
10) Packaging Textiles (packtech): Packaging materials,
11) Protective Textiles (protech): Textiles for personal and property protection,
12) Sports Textiles (sportech): Textiles for sports and leisure (casual) clothes.
There are hundreds of products and applications under these groups. Some of the product and application areas are traditional, some are replacing materials and techniques with long-established materials and some are reproduced materials for their own characteristics.
Conveyor belts, medical gloves, ballistic (bulletproof) fabrics, acoustic insulation materials, rockets, airbags in automobiles, antistatic textiles, artificial grass, awning fabrics, bandage materials, flame resistant blankets and pillows, filters, fireproof building materials, chemical protective clothing , disposable protective clothing, sewer and irrigation systems, flame retardant decoration materials and curtains are among the 150 end products using technical textiles.
The automotive industry is not only the largest but also the most diverse market for technical textiles. Technical textile applications in the automotive industry from the cord fabric in automobile tires to seat belts; It shows a variety ranging from heat and sound insulation to airbags. Since technical textiles are high technology products, they stand out with their high strength, special elasticity, or coatings.
Which Materials Are Technical Textiles Made Of?
Technical textiles are mainly produced from polyester, polypropylene, nylon, viscose, cotton, glass and aramid. Among the production areas of technical textiles, the fastest growing area is nonwoven surfaces. Technical textiles can be found in the following forms: non-spun fibers, wide and narrow weaves, nonwovens, warp knitting, weft knitting, rope.
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