Sports textile Essay Example for Free

Sports textile Essay Sports textile is one of the branches of technical textiles. Now a day’s sophisticated technology are used in technical textile to produce sports wear. Hi-tech textiles in sport are 1 S. NO TOPIC PAGE NO 1 Introduction 2 2 Objective 3 3 Properties/Function required for sports wear 3 3. 1. Desirable attributes of functional sports and leisure wear 5 3. 2. Properties of sports textiles 6 4 Textile material and fabric structure for sports wear 7 4. 1. Development of fibers 7 4. 2. High-performance fibers 8 4. 3. Special fibers used 10 4. 4. Types of fabrics 11 4. 5. Layered fabrics 13 5 Market size for sports wear 14. 5. 1. The key impediments to the growth of sporttech product 15 6 Application/Uses of sportswear 16 7 Conclusion 16 8 Bibliography 17 nothing new. In twenty first century, clothing is an important issue for general consumer, active athletes and for those who practice sports just for fitness in their leisure time. The sports fabrics are generally ultra-breathable and have high heat and moisture management properties, light weight, fast drying properties and feature elasticity properties. These fabrics also have superior strength and durability. The latest sports textile materials are much more function for fulfilling  specific needs in different sports activities. The sports such are i. Winter sports ii. Summer sports iii. Outdoor games iv. Indoor games v. Football vi. Cricket vii. Climbing viii. Cycling ix. Flying and sailing sports x. Athletics xi. Other sports The people are paying more attention to sports activity and that the market for sportswear continues to expand. So the consumers seem to be prepared to spend considerable amounts of money on sportswear and other functional fabrics, which have made the market attractive to many producers. In sports, previously a traditionalapparel textilewas used. For that theplayer hasto face so many problems such as: i. Sweating – which stick the fabric with body ii. Feeling hot during run iii. Improper stretch ability iv. Extra weight of the fabric v. Give protection to body skin during fall on the ground vi. Inadequate fabric for fluid resistance for swimmer vii. Windproof, waterproof fabric for sailor 2 viii. Light weight shoe with proper strength air circulation ix. High tenacity resistance to abrasion for the skiwear uniform x. Improper gripping of the shoes during run etc. Therefore,technologyhastodevelopfortheaboveshortcomings. Andforthattheresearch activity took place; and the country who were in the foremost are: Japan, Sweden, Spain and United State. To bridge the gap and promote the partnership and collaboration between the stakeholders government-end users. 3. PROPERTIES/FUNCTIONS REQUIRED FOR SPORTSWEAR Many different aspects have to be considered when designing clothing for a particular sport. 1. The protection/safety functions to protect wearers from adverse weather (wind, rain and snow, etc). 2. The comfort function which gives wear comfort (thermo-physiological comfort, skin sensorial comfort, body movement comfort) to wearers, 3. The exercise function to assist positively improvement of athletic records and attainment of one’s target, 4. Aesthetic appeal and high fashion ability. In order to meet such requirements, waterproof/moisture permeable fabrics, perspiration absorbing/ fast drying fabrics, warmth retentive fabrics, stretchable fabrics, etc. have been developed. From sensitivity or aesthetics point of view softness, surface texture, handle, luster, colour comfort are important factors. 3 5. For active sportswear requires super lightweight, low fluid resistance, super high tenacity stretchablility. For those who are seeking comfort healthy pursuits critical features include thermal regulation, UV resistance, sweat absorption fast drying, vapour permeability. 6. Moisture management is one of the key performance criteria in todays apparel industry. It is defined as the ability of a garment to transport moisture away from the skin to the garments outer surface. This action prevents perspiration from remaining next to the skin. In hot conditions, trapped moisture may heat up and lead to fatigue or diminished performance. In cold conditions, trapped moisture will drop in temperature and cause chilling and hypothermia. Excess moisture may also cause the garment to become heavy, as well as cause damage to the skin from chafing. Table no. 1 Function of sports textiles. S. No Function Description 1. Heat transport performances The sport fabrics require to maintain body temperature during various sports activities. The heat transport properties of fabric make possible to feel the sportsman cooler in summer and warmer in winter. The fibrous material, bulk entrapped air within the fabric affects the heat transport properties of the sportswear. 2 Moisture transport performance By changing the cross sections of the fiber and by using special chemicals; fabrics are made which have high moisture transport properties. Such fabric keeps the body dry by keeping moisture away from body surface in vapor and/or liquid form. 3 Anti-static performances Sportswear fabrics have a very high electrical conductivity, so they can dissipate electrical charge. 4 4 Antimicrobial performances Keeping a normal level of bacteria on the skin offers a high level of comfort and personal hygiene, especially during athletic activities. 5 Ultraviolet protection Sports fabrics can remove UV-A and UV-B rays that are dangerous to the skin, and guarantees an improved level of defense compared to the majority general natural and man-made fibres. 3. 1. Desirable attributes of functional sports and leisurewear: a. Optimum heat and moisture regulation. b. Rapid moisture absorption and conveyance capacity. c. Good air and water permeability d. Prevention of a long term feeling of dampness. e. Low water absorption of the layer of clothing facing the skin. f. Quick drying fabric to prevent catching cold. g. Pleasant to skin, soft, non-abrasive and non-chafing. h. Dimensionally stable even when wet. i. Durable j. Lightweight k. Soft and pleasant touch l. Easy care m. Smart and functional design Table no: 2 Required functions on the main sportswear S. No. Sportswear Required Function 1. Shirts for tennis,volleyball, golf, football, rugby, base ball uniform, tracksuits etc. Sweat absorption, fast drying, cooling. 2. Skiwear, wind breakers, rain wear Vapor permeability, water proofing 3. Skiwear, wind breakers, tracksuits Sunlight absorbing and thermal retention 5 4. Swimming race and skating costume, ski jump and downhill skiing suits, cycling costumes Low fluid resistance (for water and air) 5. Swimwear, leotards, skating costume. Stretch ability, opacity 6. Skiwear, snowboard wear, football and base ball uniform High tenacity, heat melt resistance to abrasion 3. 2. Properties of sports textiles: Sports textile must have comport ability, easy to wear, easy handling. Sports textiles fabrics have a very high electrical conductivity, so they can permit the effectual dissipation of electrical charge. It should be light as best as possible. Fabric filaments are made highly effecting in moisture management thus they can wick the moisture as known as sweat away from the body keeps body dry. Sports textile should have good perspiration fastness.As this sports fabric has a special property well known as heat conductivity make possible to feel the user cooler in summer warmer in winter. Garments manufactured from sports textiles fabrics, keeps the normal stability of body comfort, because these fabrics are ultra-breathable, fast drying and possess outstanding moisture managing properties, which rapidly wick moisture away from the body. These garments are also very less in weight feature elasticity properties, which provides immense comfort and independence of movement.Keeping a normal level of bacteria on the skin offers a high level of comfort and personal hygiene, especially during athletic activities. Sports textiles fabrics remove UVA and UVB rays that are dangerous to the skin, and guarantees an improved level of defense compared to the majority general natural and man-made fibers. It also provides superior strength and durability. The athletics the leisure activities for their better performance in the sports. 4. TEXTILE MATERIAL AND FABRIC STRUCTURE FOR SPORTSWEAR: 6 It is not possible to achieve all required properties for sportswear in a simple structure of any single fiber. The right type of fiber should be in the right place. The behavior of the fabric is mainly depending on its base fibers properties. The most important properties are: fiber type;weave construction; weight or thickness of the material and presence of chemical treatments. 4. 1. Development of fibers: The evolution of fiber developments has gone through the phases of conventional fibers, highly functional fibers and high-performance fibers. Polyester is the single most common fiber used for sportswear and active wear. Other fibers suitable for active wear are polyamide, polypropylene, acrylics and elastanes. Wool and cotton fibers are still finding applications in leisurewear. Synthetic fibers can either be modified during manufacture, e. g. by producing  hollow fibers and fibers with irregular cross-section, or be optimally blended with natural fibers to improve their thermo-physiological and sensory properties. Synthetic fibers with improved UV resistance and having anti-microbial properties are also commercially available for use in sportswear. Improved fiber spinning techniques in melt spinning, wet spinning, dry spinning as well as new techniques such as gel spinning, bi-component spinning and microfiber spinning, have all made it possible to produce fibers, yarns and fabrics with unique performance characteristics suitable for use in sportswear and sports goods. New technologies for producing microfibers have also contributed towards production of high-tech sportswear. By using the conjugate spinning technique, many different types of sophisticated fibers with various functions have been commercially produced which has resulted in fabrics having improved mechanical, physical, chemical and biological functions. The technique of producing sheath/core melt spun conjugate fibers has been commercially exploited for producing added-value fibers. Unitika produced the first heat-degenerating conjugate fiber with a core containing zirconium carbide (ZrC). S0ince ZrC absorbs sunlight (visible and near-infrared radiations) and emits far-infrared radiation, one feels warmer when one puts on a jacket made from such fibers. Other types of heat-generating fibers contain ceramic micro-particles. 4. 2. High-performance fibers: Today, a wide range of high-performance fibers is commercially available for technical and industrial applications. These types of fibers are used in sports protective wear/equipment 7 developed for impact protection and in textile reinforcement in sports products for different applications. Among the speciality fibers already established are the following. Aramidfibers: Figure no: 1 aramid fibers Figure no: 2 Gloves made from aramid  ± p-aramid fiber will provide high strength and ballistics.  ± m-aramid fiber will provide flame and heat resistance. Ultra-high tenacity polyethylene fibers (UHMWPE): Gel spun, ultra high molecular polyethylene fibers with extremely high specific strength and modulus, high chemical resistance and high abrasion resistance. Polyphenylene sulphide fibers (PPS): Crystalline thermoplastic fiber with mechanical properties similar to regular polyester fiber. Excellent heat and chemical resistance. 8 Polyetheretherketone fibers (PEEK): Crystalline thermoplastic fiber with high resistance to heat and to a wide range of chemicals. Novoloid (cured phenol-aldehyde) fibers: High flame resistance, non-melting with high resistance to acid, solvents, steam, chemicals and fuels. Good moisture regain and soft hand. PBO (p-phenylene-2,6-benzobisoxazole) fibers: The strength and modulus of this fiber exceed those of any known fibers. Table no: 3 Characteristics of High-performance fibers High-performance fibers Characteristics Glass fiber High resistance. Aramid Mechanical strength and high resistance to flame and heat. High tenacity polyethylene High mechanical strength, chemical  and abrasion resistance. Polyphenylene sulfide Excellent chemical and heat resistance. PBO(polybenzoxazole) High mechanical strength. . 4. 3. Special fibers used: †¢Hygra20 †¢Killat N23 Killat N from Kanebo Ltd is a nylon hollow filament. The hollow portion is about 33 per cent of the cross section of each filament due to which it gives good water absorbency and warmth retentive property. The manufacturing technology of Killat N is 9 very interesting. The yarn is spun as bicomponent filament yarn with soluble polyester copolymer as the core portion and nylon as the skin portion. Then by giving alkali weight  loss treatment the soluble polyester copolymer of the bicomponent filament will dissolve and a large hollow portion (exceeding 30 per cent of the cross section) will be created as shown is Figure 5. †¢Dacron 4-Channel Polyester a generic term for a high-performance four-channel fiber engineered to move moisture and speed the evaporation of perspiration. It is a superior fabric for wicking action, drying time, moisture absorption and transport. A high-performance, four-channel fiber engineered to move moisture and speed the evaporation of perspiration. It is a superior fabric, for wicking action, drying time,moisture absorption and transport. Lycra25 Figure no:3 Swimwear made by lycra Lycra, a truly synthetic fiber of long chain polymer composed of at least 85% segmented polyurethane, finds wide range of end uses such as swimwear, active sportswear, floor gymnastics because of its comfort and fit2O. Adding Lycra to a fabric gives it stretch and recovery, particularly in gymnastics and swimwear where body skin flexing and stretching are inevitable. Lycra T-9026 requires still effort for the same extensibility. Roica and Leofeel 10 Roica is a polyether type spandex made by dry spinning method and Leofeel is asoft nylon-66 yarn developed by Asahi Chemical. The combination of Roica and Leofeel in mixed knitted tricot fabric gives a soft touch and excellent stretch. It is mainly used in swim wear . 4. 4. Types of fabrics: A wide range of woven, knitted and nonwoven fabrics are commercially available for sportswear and normal wear. These fabrics differ in their structure such as entrapped air, pore shape and size, bulk and surface properties etc. which may affect the heat and moisture transmission characteristics of the fabrics. For sportswear, knitted fabrics are preferred as these fabrics have greater elasticity  and stretchability compared to woven fabrics, which provide unrestricted freedom of movement and transmission of body vapour to the next textile layer in the clothing system. With new combinations of fabrics and yarns, and with developments in fabric construction, knitted fabric appears to be the ideal base for active sportswear. Knitted garments are mainly worn next to the skin and therefore deserve particular attention.Entrant Dermizax EV is a lightweight fabric having a feather smooth texture with excellent waterproof/moisture permeability and durable water repellency such as 20,000 mm of water pressure resistance and moisture permeability of 30,000 g/m2/24 hrs. It is an excellent and original active sportswear fabric with globally top class water proof/moisture permeability, as well as excellently durable water repellency. Its action of waterproofing moisture permeability. fig no:4 Entrant Dermizax EV fiber †¢Entrant HB is a new generation fabric with hybrid structure that synergistically integrates the advantages offered by a coating (well-balanced moisture permeability) and lamination (high waterproofness). It has high resistance to water pressure and high 11 durability against repeated washings (80 points or higher after 20 wash cycles). Its main application is outdoor wear. Toray has developed H2OFF made up of polyester microfibre fabric with a unique high-density weave structure comprising millions of microcrimped fiber loops. It also feature superb and durable water repellency, superior breathability and wind-chill resistance and attractiveness with soft hand. †¢Naiva30: Unitika has developed Naiva fabric by combining the Naiva yarn with a nylon microfibre. Naiva is an Eval/nylon bicomponent filament yarn and Eval is nothing but a copolymer resin of ethylenevinylalcohol. Naiva yarn composition is 55% Eval (23% ethylene + 32% vinyl alcohol) and 45% nylon. In the Naiva fabrics there are many nylon micro loops on the surface, which are formed by making use of high thermal shrinkage property of Naiva yarn. Naiva fabric not only has good moisture permeability but also has some other positive features like lightweight, softness and has capability of secondary finishing. The fabric is very successfully used in mountaineering wear and other active sportswear. fig no:5 structure of Naiva 30. Field Sensor21: Field Sensor is a very popular high-performance fabric from Toray,  which employs a multilayer structure that not only absorbs perspiration quickly but also transports it up to the outer layer of fabric very rapidly using principle of capillary action. It is composed of coarser denier yarn on the inside surface (in direct contact with skin), and fine denier hydrophobic polyester yarn in a mesh construction on the outer surface to accelerate quick evaporation of sweat. COOLMAX: DuPont CoolMax is a high-performance fabric that can help the athletic performance of the people who wear it. CoolMax ® moves sweat away from the body to 12 the outer layer of the fabric, where it dries faster than any other fabric. In moisture management tests, garments made with CoolMax dried almost completely in 30 minutes. Cotton, by comparison, remained wet by nearly 50%. Better evaporation means you spend less energy to cool your body, which increases your performance and endurance. CoolMax fabrics are specially designed to provide not only superior moisture management, but also to enhance the wearers comfort. All of the benefits of CoolMax fabrics are permanently built right into the fiber, requiring no chemical treatments. 4. 5. Layered fabrics: Layered fabrics became common for active sportswear. The performance of layered fabric in thermophysiological regulation is better than single layer textile structure. Each layer has distinct function; the layer next to the skin is to wick away the perspiration rapidly to the outer layer, which absorbs and dissipates it rapidly to the atmosphere by evaporation. In doing so, it takes away some of the body heat and keeps the body cool. On the inside, a synthetic material with good moisture transfer properties, e. g. polyester, nylon, acrylic or polypropylene is used whereas on the outside, a material which is good absorber of moisture, e. g.cotton, wool, viscose rayon or their blends can be placed. The conductive inner layer transfers the liquid perspiration rapidly to the absorbent outer layer chiefly as a result of the capillary effect. The absorbent outside of the textile material functions as a buffer zone for excess perspiration. In another way of constructing a physiologically functional fabric is three-layer structure. The use of superfine or microfibre yarn enables production of dense fabrics leading to more effective capillary action, with better thermo-physiological regulation. 13 14 Cellulosic or other Hydrophilic Fibres. Fig no:6 Two layered fabric structure for active wear 15 16 Cellulosic or Hydrophilic fibres Polyester micro fibres Polyester or other wicking fiber Fig no:7 Three layered fabric structure for active wear 5. MARKET SIZE FOR SPORTS TEXTILES: The technical textiles usage in the Sportech segment is valued at Rs 2,632 crore in 2007-08. The sports footwear components account for around 85% of the total segment value followed by technical textiles usage in sports composites with around 11%share. The sports footwear components are valued at Rs 2,250 crore and are expected to grow at around 11% y- o-y over the next 5 years. The technical textiles usage in sports composites is valued at Rs 293 crore. Sport composites include inflatable balls (footballs, volleyball, basketballs, etc), cricket protective equipments and boxing equipments. Around 30% of the sports composites are exported. Artificial turfs are valued at Rs 26 crore and account for about 1% of the segment only. The artificial turfs are not manufactured in India and the demand is met through imports.The usage of technical textiles in parachute fabrics, sleeping bags and hot air balloon fabricsisestimatedasRs18. 4crorein2007-08whichisexpectedtoincreasetoRs28crore by 2012-13. The consumption of sail cloth in India is negligible. †¢Sports nets, high performance swimwear and tents account for the remaining technical textiles consumption in Sportech with market size of Rs 5 crore, Rs 0. 84 crore and Rs 39 crore respectively in 2007-08. India exports around 40% of its sports nets production and around 25% of its tents production. The usage of technical textiles in sports nets and tents is expected to increase to Rs 30 crore and Rs 49. 8 crore respectively by 2012-13. Overall, the usage of technical textiles in the Sportech segment is expected to increase 17 fromRs2,632crorein2007-08toaroundRs4,358croreby2012-13,growingata CAGRof just below 11%. Sportech segment of technical textiles is estimated to provide employment to 88,000 peopleofwhomnumberoftechnicalemployeesisestimatedat70,000andnumberof non-technical employees is estimated at 18,000.The sports footwear industry is expected to grow by at least 8 percent per annum and accordingly, the demand potential for sports shoes and the attendant requirement of fabrics would be as below Table no: 4 Market Potential for fabric requirement for sports wear Year Sports Shoes Requirement of fabric (million meters) Million Pairs Value(Rs. Crore) 2001-02 570 5100(1020). 105 2003-04 595 5950(1200) 120 2007-08 804 8040(1600) 140 Note: Figures in brackets indicate approximate value of technical textile shoe component 5. 1. The key impediments to the growth of Sporttech products:- Inadequate domestic demand The raw materials and machinery for products like Ballooning fabric and Artificial turfs is not available in India which render these products expensive as compared to other manufacturing countries Demand for products like parachute fabrics, tents, etc is driven primarily by the  defense sector onlySportech products are typically labour intensive, availability of skilled labour is a major impediment to growth Licenses and clearances required for products like Ballooning fabric are a major impediment as well. This interactive workshop on Sports Textile focuses on building bridges between the Users and Manufactures. It will provide thought leadership and strategic vision to the technical textile industry in general and Sports textile in particular. 6. APPLICATIONS/USES OF SPORTSWEAR: Sports textile has versatile use. Some uses of Sports Textile are given below: 18 i. Sports composites ii. Artificial turf iii. Ballooning fabrics iv. Parachute fabrics v. Sail cloth vi. Sports nets vii. Sports footwear viii. Tents for sports ix. Swimming costume x. Sleeping bags xi. Sports equipment xii. Cycling xiii. Golf xiv. Tennis xv. Mountaineering, xvi. Skiing, xvii. Cricket, etc. 7. CONCLUSIONS Modern peoples are paying more attention to sports activity. The use of sports fabric is increasing day by day in various sports and leisure activities. The consumers seem to be prepared to spend considerable amounts of money on sportswear and other functional fabrics. During designing the sportswear fabrics, the aspects which are considered: protection/safety functions to protect wearers from adverse weather, comfort functions which gives wear comfort (thermal, sensorial and body movement comfort), exercise function to enhance performance of athlete, and aesthetic appeal and high fashion ability. The required functions of sportswear fabrics differ in different situations such as type of sports, environmental conditions and level of activity etc. Sportswear developed by using special type of polymer, type of fibrous material, modifying the fiber/yarn/fabric structure, lamination,  finishing technology and manufacturing technology etc. The introduction of high functionality and comfort in the sportswear fabrics provide unlimited scope for sportswear fabrics. 19 8. BIBILIOGRAPHY: ?Development Active Sportswear Fabrics and Synthetic Fibre Producers, JTN, Dec. ,1983, ?Sports Textile/Sporttech | Properties of Sports Textile | Application/Uses of Sports Textile, http://textilelearner. blogspot. in/2012/03/sports-textilesporttech-properties-of. html Assessed on 24. 12. 2012 ?International Journal of IT, Engineering and Applied Sciences Research (IJIEASR) ISSN: 2319-4413 Volume 2, No.1, January 2013 ?i-Xplore International Research Journal Consortium www. irjcjournals. org ?Active Sportswear Fabrics ? Dr. Devanand Uttam, Assistant Professor, Punjab Technical University, Giani Zail Singh Campus, Bathinda, India ?FICCI Presents interactive workshop on sports textiles by Ministry of textiles. ?COOLMAX ® Performance Fabrics, 11495_CoolMaxSS_v3 2/25/04. ?Textiles in sports† by R. Shishoo ?An emergence of sport-tech in technical textile industry by M. Nithiyakumar,G. Thamotharam ?www. indiantextile journal. com ?www. fibre2fashion. com ?www. texmin. com ?www. design-technology. org/sportsshoes1. htm .