Topic covered:
Science and Technology- developments and their applications and effects in everyday life.
Technical Textiles
What to study?
For prelims: What are technical textiles and their significance?
For mains: Need and significance of these textiles.
Context: A Seminar was recently organized by Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation on “Use of Technical Textiles in Water Resources Works”.
What are technical textiles?
Technical Textiles are defined as Textile material and products manufactured primarily for their Technical performance and functional properties rather than aesthetic and decorative characteristics.
Technical textiles include textiles for automotive applications, medical textiles (e.g., implants), geotextiles (reinforcement of embankments), agrotextiles (textiles for crop protection), and protective clothing (e.g., heat and radiation protection for fire fighter clothing, molten metal protection for welders, stab protection and bulletproof vests, and spacesuits).
Significance and potential applications:
Technical Textiles are being used globally for last several decades. These materials have provided innovative
engineering solutions for several applications in civil and geotechnical engineering, for infrastructure water resources projects.
Even while Technical Textiles have been extensively used in developed as well as many developing countries, India has yet to capitalise the technical, economical and environmental benefits on large scale.
Various parts of India are subjected to floods and environmental degradation. In some of the terrains, the flood management and control can rely on Technical Textiles tubes, containers and bags. Technical Textiles have been found to perform better than concrete as water protection component because of permeability, flexibility and ease of underwater placement.
