Shirts that can 'talk' to satellites or monitor your respiration and heartbeat are being developed by the students of North Carolina State University in Raleigh.
The fabric of these shirts are melted and pressed, not woven or sewn, and can be much stronger than traditional cloths. They have little or no natural fiber and are manufactured from plastic-petroleum derivatives such as polypropylene, polyethylene, rayon, polyester along with wood pulp or cotton mixed in it to improve absorbency.
They are cheaper to make as few workers are required at a single plant to produce almost 15,000 metric tons of non-wovens a year. Many U.S. and foreign companies in Raleigh-Durham are exploiting this university-created technology for making products like disposable diapers, wipes and kitchen mops. They are also trying to use them as fabrics to block bullets; cleanse themselves of anthrax spores, pesticides, chemicals and body odour, put out flames or conduct electricity.
The $25 million to $40 million machines used to make this fabric will resemble printing presses. This is because the fibers are pressed together with heated rollers to form a web. The fibers can be made as tough as steel cable at a fraction of the weight, which has enabled to open new possibilities for building roads, bridges and aircraft.
10-May-05 
