Auxetics: An innovative approach to technical textiles

Abstract

The textile and clothing market represents one of the key sectors in global trade and product production. Due to technological advancements, rising competition, and shifts in society, the use of textiles and clothing is expanding greatly across various different sectors. Studies are being conducted to create technical textiles with distinctive characteristics by modifying their structure and surface at various levels to enhance their functionality. One notable initiative in the area of technical textiles is the auxetic fabrics. In recent times, the application of textile technology to create auxetic materials has garnered significant interest. Auxetic textiles are materials that exhibit a negative Poisson’s ratio; unlike traditional textile materials, when they are elongated in the longitudinal direction, they experience a slight increase in the transversal direction. Auxetic materials possess a range of remarkable characteristics, including fracture toughness, resistance to indentation, synclastic curvature, impact resistance, and variations in porosity and permeability. Because of their diverse properties, auxetic materials find applications in various fields such as healthcare, architecture, civil engineering, advanced equipment, explosive protection, filters, and more. They are likewise utilized in the production of functional apparel, healthcare, athletic, and safety garments. Despite numerous suggested uses, actual implementations of auxetic materials remain restricted to the initial phase. Future efforts should focus more on developing new auxetic materials with practical applications for mass commercialization.