Graphene is used in textiles

The 2017 China International Textile & Yarn Exhibition (Spring/Summer) was held on March 15 at the National Convention and Exhibition Center (Shanghai).At the exhibition, "Made in China" graphene fiber attracted attention.

As one of the most disruptive new materials, graphene has developed rapidly in the field of high-end new textile materials due to its excellent performance.At present, Europe, the United States, Japan, and many other countries, the graphene as the century's most important new material research and development, and has set up a new energy, electronics, new materials in aspects such as important progress and preliminary application effect, and shows a wide application prospect, our country also has the graphene as a national important strategic materials listed in the national "much starker choices-and graver consequences-in planning."The industrialization and application of graphene composite fibers will promote the supply-side structural reform of China's chemical fiber textile industry and create high-end intelligent textiles.

Graphene fiber products from Chinese enterprises have sparked heated discussions at the China International Textile and Yarn Exhibition.Many experts say that the light application of graphene for civil use can be quickly productized and can bring high cost performance to consumers. For example, the preparation of high-performance textile fibers and the functional finishing of textiles using graphene has gradually become a research hotspot in the industry.Graphene has excellent antibacterial properties and low-temperature far-infrared function. Using it to prepare antibacterial fabrics, it is more suitable for direct contact with human skin and has the effect of skin-friendly and skin-nourishing.In addition, because the electro-thermal conversion efficiency of graphene can reach 99%, embedded into the fiber structure to make the fabric, heating speed is fast and uniform, the fabric is also softer, not afraid of folding, washable, more comfortable and safe.

Wang Liming, director of the New Technology Promotion and Application Center of China Textile Business Association, introduced that in the textile industry, domestic enterprises have developed graphene composite fibers and realized industrial production, which is now in an international leading position."As far as I know, there are no companies producing graphene composite fibers in the United States. They are focusing on more cutting-edge fields like aerospace and energy storage batteries.China is a textile country, and has a strong scientific and technological strength, so the development of graphene composite fiber is understandable, and has great application value."

Nantong Johnson Graphene Technology Co., Ltd. is one of the enterprises focusing on the technology and application development of graphene composite fiber.The company a multi-year research successful global graphene materials preparation technology, director of the changsha XiaoLin said, they developed with conventional chemical fiber composite fiber with antibacterial, mites, thermal resistance, cutting resistance, antistatic, anti-ultraviolet radiation and conduction of cool and refreshing, and low temperature far infrared heating, multiple functions, have been successfully used in textile, clothing, health care and other fields, in the second half of this year will be formally to the market, with seven kinds of special fiber such as carbon fiber composite special fiber is the key technology and technical bottleneck also has gained breakthrough.

It is understood that the graphene research and development team of Nantong Johnson & Johnson is composed of scientists from the United States, the European Union and China. Since 2009, it has been focusing on the industrialization and follow-up application of graphene research.Through unremitting efforts and in-depth study, in preparation of the industrialization of the monolayer graphene and graphene composite functional fiber materials production, research and industrialization for a major breakthrough, the largest of which is a breakthrough graphene material costs from price of "gold" to "cabbage" price - from original imports from the United States and more than 500 yuan per gram of gold, until now domestic to develop the preparation of 1 yuan per gram.They adopt the normal temperature and pressure of intercalation-stripping production process, the production process is short, high efficiency, high single-layer product rate, low cost, green production process.The preparation process and technology of this graphene raw material have been verified by Shanghai Institute of Science and Technology Information, China, and confirmed to reach the most advanced international level with complete intellectual property rights. The corresponding graphene series products have been proved by the third-party authority at home and abroad, and the single-layer rate has reached the advanced level of 99%.

Li Yichun, professor of China Graphene Industry Alliance, said that the current graphene industry in China has much speculation but little industrialization. Accelerating the industrialized application of graphene is the key of the key.Taking Nantong Johnson & Johnson as an example, the company takes advantage of the low cost of graphene raw materials to get closer to the demand of China's textile fiber market. At present, the company has an annual output capacity of 5,000 tons of graphene composite functional fiber, which can make an important contribution to promoting the transformation and upgrading of China's textile industry.

Experts also revealed that a national standard for the "civil use" of graphene is being pushed forward.