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10.6.3.2 Additional demand for research

10.6.3.2  Additional Demand for Research

The application of nanotechnology to the textile sector has great potential, but the success of nano-enabled developments is linked to the relative weight of the drivers and barriers, and consequent cost/benefit ratio, that can vary according to the sector of application. The trade off between them will determine the rate of their success, but it must be also be noted that nano-enabled innovations will often compete with other, more conventional, approaches.

Therefore there is a constant demand for additional research along the nanotextiles value chain; to clarify base principle and mechanisms of action, for example the size/quantity-related properties, surface interaction or nanoparticles diffusion/distribution into a polymeric matrix; to improve effectiveness, scalability and industrialization of processes and procedures; to adapt nano–related processes and products to existing equipment and procedures, to reduce costs. Also the quest to enlarge the sectors of application of nano – related functionalities/properties ask for a continuous effort of research.

The challenges are many and require both basic and application oriented research.

Another field with a growing demand for research is related to the possible health and environmental hazards potentially associated with nanoparticles along the entire life cycle of nano-textiles. Rigorous control of the interaction of nanomaterials with the human body and the environment is mandatory. Thus, integrated research strategies bridging preclinical-clinical gaps must to be combined with physico-chemical characterization of the material, in vitro, in vivo and ex-vivo mechanistic studies, toxicogenomic analysis, biokinetics and molecular interactions investigated by biophonic methods, goal-driven risk/benefits assessment and first-in-human studies with INDs