Search results

The use of nonwoven fabrics in garment has been, up to now, purely functional and hidden from view. In fact, their uses have been limited to garment interlining in the apparel industry. Felted structures from wool have been limited to the craft market for the production of art and craft objects of decoration. This paper aims to compare the mechanical and thermo-physical comfort properties of a woven wool, a felted wool fabric, a felted wool/polyester and two non-woven synthetic fabrics for apparel use.

Fabric samples were sourced locally. Five fabric samples were selected: one woolen woven, one felted woven, one polyester/wool non-woven and two non-woven synthetic fabrics. The wool fabric was felted by mechanical action using the Wascator FOM 71P machine. All fabric samples were conditioned before they were tested for their mechanical and thermal comfort properties as per standard test methods.

The comparative study of the mechanical and thermal properties of the five fabric samples have been successfully investigated as textile materials for commercial garments. In terms of fabric stiffness, drape and handle, the two non-woven synthetic fabrics were, in general, poorer than the woven wool and the felted woven wool fabrics. The synthetic non-woven fabrics also performed poorly in terms of serviceability. But it was found that the nonwoven synthetic fabrics were best suited when thermal insulation is required and were found to be better than the woven felted wool fabric of comparative weight per unit area.

The value of this study is that it demonstrates the scope of felted woolen structures and other synthetic nonwovens fabrics as usable materials, in part or in full, in the development of apparel for winter wear especially in cold environments and where aesthetic appeal is secondary.

A new range of stainless‐steel bonded filter elements (Fig. 1) has been introduced by Marston Palmer Ltd of Wolverhampton WV10 6QJ, England. The patented design combines the low pressure‐drop properties of woven‐metal filter media with the fine filtration and dirt‐holding capacity of felted metal fibres. Filtration levels from 3 to 40 micrometres absolute are achieved with the new Microclene™ bonded filter.

The mainstream of current research work in array tactile sensors concentrates on using a soft compliant membrane as a means of transmitting the effect of variable external stimuli to the discrete sensing elements. The soft compliant devices are usually made of a thin flexible substrate such as pressure sensitive pads, conductive materials, conductive coatings, piezoelectric polymers or elastomers. A large number of tactile sensor designs using these types of materials have been investigated by researchers. These include the use of anisotropically conductive silicone rubber (ACS), sponges containing carbon particles or felted carbon fibres, piezoelectric polymers such as polyvinylidene fluoride (PVF2) and conductive elastomers such as Dynacom materials consisting of silicone rubber mixed with metallic compounds.

The aim of this study is to determine the fracture behavior of wool felt and fabric based epoxy composites and their responses to electromagnetic waves.

Notched and unnotched tensile tests of composites made of wool only and hybridized with a glass fiber layer were carried out, and fracture behavior and toughness at macro scale were determined. They were exposed to electromagnetic waves between 8 and 18 GHz frequencies using two horn antennas.

The keratin and lignin layer on the surface of the wool felt caused lower values to be obtained compared to the mechanical values given by pure epoxy. However, the use of wool felt in the symmetry layer of the laminated composite material provided higher mechanical values than the composite with glass fiber in the symmetry layer due to the mechanical interlocking it created. The use of wool in fabric form resulted in an increase in the modulus of elasticity, but no change in fracture toughness was observed. As a result of the electromagnetic analysis, it was also seen in the electromagnetic analysis that the transmittance of the materials was high, and the reflectance was low throughout the applied frequency range. Hence, it was concluded that all of the manufactured materials could be used as radome material over a wide band.

Sheep wool is an easy-to-supply and low-cost material. In this paper, it is presented that sheep wool can be evaluated as a biocomposite material and used for radome applications.

The combined evaluation of felt and fabric forms of a natural and inexpensive reinforcing element such as sheep wool and the combined evaluation of fracture mechanics and electromagnetic absorption properties will contribute to the evaluation of biocomposites in aviation.

The term luxury and sustainability, within the fashion and textile industries are seldom seen as natural bedfellows. Recently however, the perception of luxury has begun to include a definition left behind in the twentieth century; beautifully hand crafted artefacts valued for the time, skill and design invested in them. It is possible though, for the concept of luxury textiles to embrace this definition and that of the sustainable credentials of a “Cradle to Cradle” (McDonough and Braungart, 2002) mindset (that of a life beyond original creation) and be fashionable. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Utilising a variety of methodologies including case studies, reflective practice and a practice-based approach; this paper examines the use of pre-consumer waste in the creation of new luxury textiles. Several projects are cited, offering examples of collaboration between textile mills and designers in the creation of new fabrics made from luxury by-products. This luxury waste is routinely shredded for automobile seat filling or landfill, however current sustainable thinking encourages a more creative solution to this circumstance. Designers have a crucial role to play in converting an unwanted by-product to one that is highly desirable.

Traditional values of what constitutes a luxury item include the concept of time invested in making a unique handmade artefact. More recently, this premise has been overlooked in favour of branded goods. The slow fashion movement advocates the inherent value of craftsmanship coupled with the ethical use of sustainable and or local materials and processes. The traditional techniques of felting, weave and stitch are utilised to create beautiful, original textiles from discarded waste. By collaborating with local mills, designers provide solutions to something that could be perceived as a problem.

The embedded narrative within these layered textiles provides an original quality and added value, building on their Scottish heritage. The resulting textiles reflect their provenance; the landscape they come from and the people who created them. As a result of purchase, the story continues with the new custodian, adding to the ongoing history of the textile. The design work and collaboration that this paper outlines embodies a transferable model for sustainable upcycled luxury textiles.

Teaching formats for both BA/MA students and MBA/PhD students in sustainable entrepreneurship and strategic management are offered in the teaching notes.

This case juxtaposes the company’s core values of gender equality, sustainability and inclusivity, with the financial pressures of expanding global operations in COVID-19 times.

This case illustrates the founding and growth of i-did in the broader context of the global circular textile industry. Being the first company that reclaims value of discarded textiles by making design products out of felt, the dilemma is on how i-did can create a blueprint for sustainable leadership in a scalable (financial) business case.

The learning outcomes of this case are as follows: to understand the concepts of circular economy and social impact and how they can be translated to business; to apply their knowledge of strategy and entrepreneurship for sustainable business innovation; to be able to analyze a company according to the Sustainable Development Goals, specifically around gender issues, inclusivity and diversity; to evaluate opportunities for multiple value creation in business; and to have the knowledge and capacity to create a circular business with the help of the Business Model Template.

This case engages students in critically reflecting on sustainability concepts in relation to i-did (theoretical value) and applying novel business model innovation tools to a real-world enterprise (practical value). The students get the chance to explore the ethical challenges the two entrepreneurial leaders face between short-term economic gains (or maybe even survival) and their core values of (gender) inclusivity, circularity and diversity.

Teaching notes and a summarizing two-pager are available for educators.

CSS 3: Entrepreneurship.

Deals with the specification and repair of stone slate roofing within the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Initially examines the importance of roofing works and then goes on to give advice on preliminary items of access and safety. The methods of re‐slating are then discussed and specific techniques of details are considered and illustrated. The surveying of stone slate roofs has been the subject of a previous paper.

The purpose of this chapter is twofold: to explore the difficulties and potential of turning to the perpetrator of sexual violence; and to track the affective economy of engaging with perpetrator accounts.

This chapter will consider one of the earliest feminist studies of incest, Sandra Butler’s (1978) Conspiracy of Silence: The Trauma of Incest, followed by an analysis of Philippe Bourgois’ (1995, 1996, 2004) ethnographic study of Puerto Rican crack dealers. These are important studies for the fact that both Butler and Bourgois let the men speak freely of their violence, which for the Puerto Rican cracker dealers include tales of gang rape.

The chapter endorses the need to study the perpetrator, arguing that it is imperative to ensure the demythologization of perpetrators. It finds also that feminists must explore how they will teach emotionally difficult material, and how they negotiate the legacy of radical feminism. The chapter concludes that there are times when politics requires little theoretical innovation, requiring instead a willingness to repeat known insights and to fight back with words.

This chapter has implications for classroom practice.

The value of this chapter is its demand to reconsider the doing of feminism in the classroom when the split between feminist theory and activism appears greater than ever.

Improvements in insulation standards, coupled with the trend to accommodate service equipment in the roof‐space, have made factory roofs more susceptible to stress and damage. With the worst winter for 16 years not yet behind us, now is the time to carry out roof inspection and look at the various repair services and equipment now on the market.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how consumers dispose of fashion products and how it might be possible to increase sustainable consumption of textiles.

Increasing volumes of textiles are being produced, purchased and disposed of in landfill sites, which affect the environment. Research has identified the influences in increased purchase behaviour and the tendency to keep clothing for a shorter time. The primary research, undertaken in three stages, is an exploratory examination of the experiences of UK consumers and charity shops managers. Focus groups and key informant interviews were undertaken to achieve the objectives.

This qualitative study identifies consumers' lack of understanding of how this behaviour affects the environment and key informant interviews explore how clothing can be re‐used and recycled. The conclusions assess what can be learnt from the data and offer suggestions for future research.

The paper is a new area of research which has global implications.