Nanoparticle-based Fibers Could Lead To No-fade Textiles With Structural Color

JMarshall writes: Researchers have created fibers with structural color properties, no dyes needed. The researchers electrospun fiber mats from a solution of latex nanoparticles, creating fibers made of uniformly packed nanospheres. The resulting mats have structural color properties that depend on the size of the nanoparticles used. By using capillaries as molds, they obtained more uniformly packed spheres with even purer colors. The downside: the fibers so far are too weak to be useful. One solution could be to print the particles like ink on existing fibers.

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[bobbied]

is plaid.

Mine is paisley.. Plaid is so yesterday..

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[PPH]

Mine is transparent.

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[azav]

Mine is plaid.

Lol

[Anonymous Coward]

The materials eliminate the need for dye. However, they are too weak to be used as fabric on their own. One possible answer: use them as dye. Nice work science

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[jklovanc]

It might be even worse than a dye as it might wear off very fast since it is only on the surface. It is closer to a paint than a dye.

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[penguinoid]

Well, presumably they still don't fade (and shouldn't bleach nor bleed).

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[jklovanc]

It will fade when the ink wears off. Then you will see the colour of the structural fiber.

LOL ...

[gstoddart]

The downside: the fibers so far are too weak to be useful. One solution could be to print the particles like ink on existing fibers.

Wait ... so you can make the color part of the fabric ... but the fabric is too fragile to use for anything ... so now you'll make your fancy nano-stuff to put on existing fibers.

What is the point of this again?

Wow, you can make color part of structure. But the structure isn't worth a damn. So you'll spray this on traditional fabric?

Someone needs to contact the underpants gno

Wait - different clothes have different colors?

[xxxJonBoyxxx]

Wait - different clothes have different colors? And people care about this?

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[PPH]

Yes. Your socks are one example.

Well,

[azav]

It works pretty wall for reptiles, birds and butterflies.

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[Tyrannosaur]

Short answer- yes.

Long answer- they aren't making clothes with it yet. They are testing to see that it is possible and if it would be viable for such a task. Nobody cares if something causes cancer if it isn't viable for use anyway

They must be good for something

[NickyLogic]

Researchers spend so much time making and studying nanoparticles, now if only they could find a practical application for these particles .. something .. ANYTHING!!!

It's not a bug, it's a feature

[ThatsNotPudding]

The brain cancer from nanoparticles? No charge.