Tag Archives: Fabric

Carbon Nanotube-Woven Fabric Outperforms Kevlar in Strength

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Bulletproof fabric is lightweight and strong

Peking University Jinzhang Group

The innovative material is remarkably strong, capable of stopping bullets with a 1.8-millimeter-thick sheet, surpassing Kevlar and potentially setting a new standard for fabric strength.

Bulletproof vests functionality relies on dissipating the energy of projectiles through an intricate network of interconnected fibers. Kevlar’s composition consists of aramid fibers, which are polymers recognized for their exceptional strength. However, under extreme pressure, these chains can slip, which limits their protective capabilities.

For the last six years, Jin Chang and researchers from Peking University in China have focused on creating materials that outperform Kevlar and Dyneema, another renowned polyethylene fiber claimed to be the strongest fabric in the world.

“Extremely high dynamic strength and toughness are essential for textile materials used in impact protection applications,” notes Zhang. “This includes ballistic armor, vehicles, and aircraft.”

His team has pioneered a technique to align carbon nanotubes with aramid polymer chains to prevent molecular slippage. “Our new fiber surpasses all previously noted high-performance polymer fibers,” asserts Zhang. “Our fabric is entirely superior to Kevlar.”

The new invention is described as an “engineered carbon nanotube/heterocyclic aramid composite,” according to Zhang, who aims to create a catchy name similar to Kevlar in the future.

This material outperforms Kevlar, achieving the same ballistic protection with significantly less fabric. Zhang explains that each layer is roughly 0.6 millimeters thick and can slow a bullet’s speed from 300 meters per second to 220 meters per second. “Based on energy absorption calculations, about three fabric layers can halt a bullet,” resulting in a total thickness of 1.8 mm. In contrast, Kevlar would need to be at least 4 mm thick for equivalent protection.

Julie Cairney and her team at the University of Sydney in Australia have called the combination of aramid fibers and aligned carbon nanotubes revolutionary.

“This strategy could lead to the development of other innovative composite materials,” Cairney states, also highlighting that this manufacturing approach is compatible with existing industrial methods, indicating promise for scalable production and practical implementation.

“For personal and military protection, these materials have the potential to create lighter and more effective body armor, enhancing safety while maintaining mobility,” she adds.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

X-ray Enhanced Fabric Potentially Alleviates Mammogram Discomfort

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Mammograms can be painful,

Dahlia Artemenko/Alamie

Getting X-rays can be quite uncomfortable. You might need to lie still while experiencing discomfort or as a part of your body is compressed. However, innovative flexible fabrics that enhance X-ray detection could alleviate this issue.

“Picture scanning your child for injuries and conducting a painless breast examination without requiring the child to stay still,” says Li Xu from the Hong Kong Institute of Technology. She and her team have developed a fabric known as X-Wear, which emits light when exposed to X-rays.

X-rays typically utilize scintillation components, which are harder to detect than visible light, in both medical and industrial applications. For example, they can convert rays that penetrate your limbs into visible light, allowing for the creation of images that reveal internal details like fractures. However, the current scintillators are usually rigid, which makes them uncomfortable for use in devices where they are embedded.

To tackle this issue, researchers have reformulated scintillating materials, like reshaping gadolinium oxide sprinkled with europium into fine fibers, which are then integrated into fabrics.

Xu mentions that crafting these fibers to be flexible while ensuring they emit sufficient light for producing high-resolution images when exposed to X-rays poses a technical challenge. Her team has demonstrated that fabrics can be utilized for dental X-rays – in tests, X-Wear adapted to the shape of a clay mouth model and teeth. It has also been used for mammography, where an X-Wear bra was created to eliminate the need for compressing a person’s breasts during imaging, a common current practice.

Imalka Jayawardena from the University of Surrey in the UK emphasizes that X-Wear’s body-compliant nature is a significant advantage over other flexible scintillator designs, which tend to be film-like and inflexible. However, he notes that the light detectors paired with X-Wear are still flat, limiting the fabric’s potential applications.

Currently, researchers can produce about a quarter of a square meter of X-Wear samples, meaning production must be scaled up and adapted for industrial-grade equipment before it can be used widely, according to Xu.

The team is also exploring X-Wear’s potential for industrial use, envisioning small, flexible devices for inspecting electronics and identifying defects in pipelines. Xu also notes that first responders in disaster zones could utilize X-Wear, equipped with smartphones and compact X-ray sources, for conducting on-site scans.

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Source: www.newscientist.com

Review of the OnePlus 13: Lightning-speed Android with stunning fabric design

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OnePlus is aiming to show that in 2025, the top premium Android phone doesn’t necessarily have to be from Samsung or Google.

The latest model in the Sharp Sub-Brand series, OnePlus 13, is priced at 899 pounds (1,049 euros/$899), slightly lower than Google and Samsung’s offerings.

Oneplus offers a range of colors, including a blue microfiber back option, as seen in the photo.

The large screen features a thin bezel and curved edges. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/Guardian

The 6.8-inch screen on the OnePlus 13 is vibrant, sharp, and colorful, comparable to the best in the market. The metal frame gives it a retro look, similar to the OnePlus X from 2015, but the phone is still manageable. It is IP68 water-resistant, capable of withstanding immersion for 30 minutes at a depth of 1.5 meters.

Fast Performance with the Latest Chip

The OnePlus 13 is one of the first phones to feature the new Snapdragon 8 Elite chip from Qualcomm, offering a 40% speed boost over its predecessor. The phone feels fast in daily use, with quick responses to all interactions.

The phone includes a unique alert slider for easy mode switching. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/Guardian

The battery life is impressive, offering up to 50 hours on a full charge with mixed usage of 5G and WiFi. It supports fast charging and wireless charging for added convenience.

Specifications

  • Screen: 6.82in, 120Hz QHD+ OLED (510ppi)

  • Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite

  • Ram: 12 or 16GB

  • Storage: 256 or 512GB

  • Operating System: Okishigenos 15 (Android 15)

  • Camera: 50m + 50MP Ultra Wide + 50MP 3X; 32MP Selfie

  • Connection: 5G, ESIM, Wifi 7, NFC, Bluetooth 5.4, and GNSS

  • Water resistance: IP68/69 (30 minutes/80C Water Jet 1.5 meters for 30 seconds)

  • Size: 162.9 x 76.5 x 8.5mm

  • Weight: 210g

Sustainability

Oneplus 13 is well built but lacks recycled materials. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/Guardian

The battery is designed to retain at least 80% of its original capacity after 1,600 full charging cycles, with the option to replace it for £80.

While the phone does not contain recycled materials, it is repairable. Screen replacement costs £280. Oneplus’ environmental impact is covered in their parent company OPPO’s annual sustainability report.

Oxygen OS 15 with AI Features

AI elements in Oxygen OS 15 offer new features and functionalities. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/Guardian

Oxygen OS 15 on the OnePlus 13 is a tweaked version of Android 15, with added AI tools for improved functionality. The phone runs smoothly with some customization options available.

The phone comes with AI tools from Google and OnePlus, enhancing user experience. While software updates may be slightly delayed compared to competitors, OnePlus offers four-year Android updates with security patches until 2031.

Camera

The camera app on the OnePlus 13 offers a host of features for photography enthusiasts. Photo: Samuel Gibbs/Guardian

The OnePlus 13 boasts a triple rear camera setup and a 32MP front camera, delivering detailed images in various conditions. The camera app includes various modes for enhanced photography experiences.

Overall, the OnePlus 13 offers a compelling package with top-notch performance, innovative features, and a competitive price point compared to its rivals. It sets a new standard for Android phones in 2025.

Pros: Sleek design, excellent screen, long battery life, fast performance, top-tier chip, great camera, water resistance, AI tools.

Cons: Some rough edges in Oxygen OS, limited AI features, shorter software support compared to competitors.

Source: www.theguardian.com

Cooling fabric reduces heat transfer from pavements and buildings in urban areas with high temperatures

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A scorching hot day in Bucharest, Romania, June 2019

lcv / Alamy

In the future, city dwellers could beat the heat with clothes made from new fabrics that keep them cool.

Made from plastic material and silver nanowires, the fabric is designed to keep you cool in urban environments by using the principle of radiative cooling, a natural process in which objects radiate heat back into space.

The material selectively emits a narrow band of infrared light that allows it to escape the Earth’s atmosphere, while at the same time blocking radiation from the sun and from surrounding structures.

Jo Bo-jun, a researcher from the University of Chicago, Illinois, and his team say the material “is more than half [the radiation]” from buildings and the ground,” he says.

Some cooling fabrics and building materials already use this radiative cooling principle, but most of their designs don’t take into account radiation from the sun or infrared radiation from structures like buildings and pavements, and they assume the materials are oriented horizontally against the sky, like roof panels, rather than vertically like clothing worn by a person.

Such designs “work well when they face something cooler, like the sky or a field,” Su says, “but not when they face an urban heat island.”

Xu and his colleagues designed a three-layered fabric: the inner layer is made from common clothing fabrics like wool or cotton, and the middle layer is made up of silver nanowires that reflect most of the radiation.

The top layer is made of a plastic material called polymethylpentene, which does not absorb or reflect most wavelengths and emits a narrow band of infrared light.

In outdoor tests, the fabric remained 8.9°C (16°F) cooler than regular silk fabric and 2.3°C (4.1°F) cooler than a broad-spectrum radiation-emitting material. When tested against the skin, the fabric was 1.8°C (3.2°F) cooler than cotton fabric.

Su said this slight difference in temperature could theoretically increase the amount of time a person can comfortably be exposed to heat by up to a third, but that this has yet to be tested.

“It’s always been difficult to make this material practical as a fiber.” Aswath Raman, the UCLA researcher added that the study is a good example of applying the physical principles of radiative cooling to a practical material. Other materials with similar properties could also be used on vertical surfaces in buildings, he said.

Science
DOI: 10.1126/science.adl0653

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Source: www.newscientist.com