Applications of New Technology to Swimwear Fabrics
Swimwear only has a history of 100 years. In the middle of the 19th century, swimming and swimwear emerged gradually in the upper classes of some European countries for social and health needs. At the time, women's swimwear has a style of very conservative long sleeves and trousers. The bikini, an extremely revealing three-point swimsuit that emerged in the late 1940s, can be said to be a peak and a turning point in the history of swimwear. It shocked the world as much as the atomic bomb test on Bikini Island.
Today, this fashion in the water has long become a fashion pioneer and is synonymous with being sexy. Today's swimsuits not only have many styles, but also concentrate on a lot of new scientific and technological achievements. Whether it is professional swimwear for competitions or casual swimsuits worn by most people, there have been gratifying developments in the functional design for fabrics and styles.
Today, this fashion in the water has long become a fashion pioneer and is synonymous with being sexy. Today's swimsuits not only have many styles, but also concentrate on a lot of new scientific and technological achievements. Whether it is professional swimwear for competitions or casual swimsuits worn by most people, there have been gratifying developments in the functional design for fabrics and styles.
1. Applications of new technology to swimwear fabrics
The continuous development and application of various new fibers provide great scientific and technological support for the development of swimwear fabrics.
1.1 Shark skin swimwear
The latest innovation of the swimsuit was the sharkskin swimsuit that appeared in the 2000 Sydney Olympics: the Fastskin one-piece swimsuit. Its fabric is shaped like shark skin, and the surface is covered with toothed V-shaped grooves; the specifications of the grooves are the same as the indentations on the shark skin. This swimsuit is snugger, which can increase swimming speed by 3%, and even reduce muscle twitching that causes fatigue. Swimsuit seams also propel swimmers like tendons. Speedo, the company that created this unique swimwear, has launched its latest Fastskin FSII swimsuits on the market. This full-cover swimsuit is made of two fabrics with different surface properties-Fastskin and Flexskin, according to the resistance to water at different parts of the body for male and female athletes in swimming competitions. Fastskin is a warp knit fabric containing 75% polyester and 25% elastane, and its surface is embossed with a pattern that mimics sharkskin for water repellency. Flexskin is a tricot fabric containing 80% polyphenol and 20% elastane and is mercerized. This swimsuit has been used at the Athens Olympics.
1.2 Chlorine lycra resistant swimsuits
E.I.Du Pont Company’s LYCRA hyperelastic fiber is well known. The swimsuit made by it has good elasticity and resilience, which can make the skin feel compressed, optimize muscle control to provide free movement and get the best out of swimmers. We know that the high concentration of chloride ions in swimming pool water is the main cause of faded and loose swimsuits. As a result, E.I.Du Pont launched another new technology product - anti-chlorine Lycra with special anti-chlorine treatment, which not only has good elasticity, but also is resistant to damage to swimsuits due to chlorine ions in pool water. Moreover, it has the anti-mildew effect and is not easy to deform, which effectively prolongs the service life of the swimsuit.
1.3 UV-resistant swimwear
If you swim in the open air, the strong ultraviolet rays are very harmful to the skin, and people often only apply sunscreen on the exposed skin to achieve the purpose of anti-ultraviolet rays. However, many people don’t know that the parts covered by swimsuits also need to be protected from UV rays. UV-resistant swimsuits came into being. Nano-ions that can absorb or reflect ultraviolet rays are added to the fibers. TO2, Fe2O3, Al2O3 and SiO2 have a good ability to absorb ultraviolet rays, while nanoparticles such as talc, kaolin, and calcium carbonate have a good ability to reflect ultraviolet rays. Swimsuit fabrics made of fibers with good elasticity containing these nanoparticles will then have anti-ultraviolet functions. For example, UV-resistant outer polyester fibers are widely used for swimsuits. A unique polyolefin elastic fiber which is also called DOW XIA elastic fiber developed by The DOW Chemical Company can make the fabric have comfortable stretch, softness, non-tight elasticity and recovery and very good UV resistance, which has been used in the production of thousands of high-end swimsuits. In addition, the spider silk that is currently being researched has good elasticity, flexibility and UV resistance, and is also very suitable for swimwear fabrics. It is believed that swimsuits made of biodegradable spider silk will also be available soon.
1.4 Color changing swimsuits
The color-changing swimsuit can change different colors according to the changes in surroundings. It is mainly divided into two types, that is, the thermochromic and photochromic type. The color of swimsuits treated with photosensitive, heat-sensitive dyes will change with temperatures and wavelength of light, because these dyes on swimsuits will appear different colors when exposed to different temperatures or different wavelengths of light. The color-changing swimsuit developed by some man-made fiber companies in Japan appears with one color on the shore, and will turn into red, blue, green and other colors in the water. This fabric is made of thermochromic fibers, which can change different colors with temperature changes on shores, in water, in the wild, indoors or on the beach.
There is also a smart color-changing swimsuit, and is made of synthetic fibers, in which many capsules with a diameter of about 10pumn invisible to the naked eye are implanted. The chemicals inside are sensitive to temperature and wavelength of light. When the temperature and light change, the color of the swimsuit will change significantly or various patterns will appear on the surface, creating a dynamic effect. At present, a smart color-changing swimsuit mixed with special crystals has been launched. Its color can turn into more than ten colors such as light yellow, orange, blue and rose-bengal with the change in temperatures and water temperatures, which is extremely interesting.
1.5 Waterproof swimsuits
In order to prevent the light-colored swimsuits from being transparent after entering the water and making it difficult for swimmers to be found when they are in danger, this swimsuit uses a fabric made of opaque fibers. The fiber adopts the PET composite spinning method of skin-core structure, and the core layer has an octagonal cross-section; each corner is very tapered, and the tip reaches the outer edge of the fiber. The PET in the octagonal section contains a high concentration of matting agent, and the fiber attached to the skin is ordinary PET. The skin and core are compounded to form fibers with a circular section. The sharp and thin octagon from the tip to the periphery has a good shielding effect on external light and can prevent the appearance of transparency after falling into the water.
1.6 Slimming and whitening swimsuits
The Eastern Department Store in Tokyo, Japan, has recently started selling a raspberry scented swimsuit. It is said that this swimsuit can whiten the skin and help the wearer achieve the purpose of losing weights. Its fabric resists UV rays, releases the composition of sun protection, and contains emulsified raspberry extract. The aroma of raspberries can relax the mind, suppress appetite, and achieve the purpose of losing weight. The new fibers that make the swimwear contain a cosmetic whitening chemical that the wearer emits onto the skin as they perspire, inhibiting the activity of the enzyme that produces melanin.
1.7 Shark proof swimsuits
People who like to cross the ocean and other extreme sports are often threatened by sharks, and now there is a new type of swimsuit that makes sharks keep a distance from you. This kind of swimsuit is infiltrated with the ointment of a yellow firefly that sharks are particularly afraid of. After the swimmer puts on it, it will constantly emit a strange smell that people can't smell, which has the miraculous effect of preventing sharks from being near you.
1.1 Shark skin swimwear
The latest innovation of the swimsuit was the sharkskin swimsuit that appeared in the 2000 Sydney Olympics: the Fastskin one-piece swimsuit. Its fabric is shaped like shark skin, and the surface is covered with toothed V-shaped grooves; the specifications of the grooves are the same as the indentations on the shark skin. This swimsuit is snugger, which can increase swimming speed by 3%, and even reduce muscle twitching that causes fatigue. Swimsuit seams also propel swimmers like tendons. Speedo, the company that created this unique swimwear, has launched its latest Fastskin FSII swimsuits on the market. This full-cover swimsuit is made of two fabrics with different surface properties-Fastskin and Flexskin, according to the resistance to water at different parts of the body for male and female athletes in swimming competitions. Fastskin is a warp knit fabric containing 75% polyester and 25% elastane, and its surface is embossed with a pattern that mimics sharkskin for water repellency. Flexskin is a tricot fabric containing 80% polyphenol and 20% elastane and is mercerized. This swimsuit has been used at the Athens Olympics.
1.2 Chlorine lycra resistant swimsuits
E.I.Du Pont Company’s LYCRA hyperelastic fiber is well known. The swimsuit made by it has good elasticity and resilience, which can make the skin feel compressed, optimize muscle control to provide free movement and get the best out of swimmers. We know that the high concentration of chloride ions in swimming pool water is the main cause of faded and loose swimsuits. As a result, E.I.Du Pont launched another new technology product - anti-chlorine Lycra with special anti-chlorine treatment, which not only has good elasticity, but also is resistant to damage to swimsuits due to chlorine ions in pool water. Moreover, it has the anti-mildew effect and is not easy to deform, which effectively prolongs the service life of the swimsuit.
1.3 UV-resistant swimwear
If you swim in the open air, the strong ultraviolet rays are very harmful to the skin, and people often only apply sunscreen on the exposed skin to achieve the purpose of anti-ultraviolet rays. However, many people don’t know that the parts covered by swimsuits also need to be protected from UV rays. UV-resistant swimsuits came into being. Nano-ions that can absorb or reflect ultraviolet rays are added to the fibers. TO2, Fe2O3, Al2O3 and SiO2 have a good ability to absorb ultraviolet rays, while nanoparticles such as talc, kaolin, and calcium carbonate have a good ability to reflect ultraviolet rays. Swimsuit fabrics made of fibers with good elasticity containing these nanoparticles will then have anti-ultraviolet functions. For example, UV-resistant outer polyester fibers are widely used for swimsuits. A unique polyolefin elastic fiber which is also called DOW XIA elastic fiber developed by The DOW Chemical Company can make the fabric have comfortable stretch, softness, non-tight elasticity and recovery and very good UV resistance, which has been used in the production of thousands of high-end swimsuits. In addition, the spider silk that is currently being researched has good elasticity, flexibility and UV resistance, and is also very suitable for swimwear fabrics. It is believed that swimsuits made of biodegradable spider silk will also be available soon.
1.4 Color changing swimsuits
The color-changing swimsuit can change different colors according to the changes in surroundings. It is mainly divided into two types, that is, the thermochromic and photochromic type. The color of swimsuits treated with photosensitive, heat-sensitive dyes will change with temperatures and wavelength of light, because these dyes on swimsuits will appear different colors when exposed to different temperatures or different wavelengths of light. The color-changing swimsuit developed by some man-made fiber companies in Japan appears with one color on the shore, and will turn into red, blue, green and other colors in the water. This fabric is made of thermochromic fibers, which can change different colors with temperature changes on shores, in water, in the wild, indoors or on the beach.
There is also a smart color-changing swimsuit, and is made of synthetic fibers, in which many capsules with a diameter of about 10pumn invisible to the naked eye are implanted. The chemicals inside are sensitive to temperature and wavelength of light. When the temperature and light change, the color of the swimsuit will change significantly or various patterns will appear on the surface, creating a dynamic effect. At present, a smart color-changing swimsuit mixed with special crystals has been launched. Its color can turn into more than ten colors such as light yellow, orange, blue and rose-bengal with the change in temperatures and water temperatures, which is extremely interesting.
1.5 Waterproof swimsuits
In order to prevent the light-colored swimsuits from being transparent after entering the water and making it difficult for swimmers to be found when they are in danger, this swimsuit uses a fabric made of opaque fibers. The fiber adopts the PET composite spinning method of skin-core structure, and the core layer has an octagonal cross-section; each corner is very tapered, and the tip reaches the outer edge of the fiber. The PET in the octagonal section contains a high concentration of matting agent, and the fiber attached to the skin is ordinary PET. The skin and core are compounded to form fibers with a circular section. The sharp and thin octagon from the tip to the periphery has a good shielding effect on external light and can prevent the appearance of transparency after falling into the water.
1.6 Slimming and whitening swimsuits
The Eastern Department Store in Tokyo, Japan, has recently started selling a raspberry scented swimsuit. It is said that this swimsuit can whiten the skin and help the wearer achieve the purpose of losing weights. Its fabric resists UV rays, releases the composition of sun protection, and contains emulsified raspberry extract. The aroma of raspberries can relax the mind, suppress appetite, and achieve the purpose of losing weight. The new fibers that make the swimwear contain a cosmetic whitening chemical that the wearer emits onto the skin as they perspire, inhibiting the activity of the enzyme that produces melanin.
1.7 Shark proof swimsuits
People who like to cross the ocean and other extreme sports are often threatened by sharks, and now there is a new type of swimsuit that makes sharks keep a distance from you. This kind of swimsuit is infiltrated with the ointment of a yellow firefly that sharks are particularly afraid of. After the swimmer puts on it, it will constantly emit a strange smell that people can't smell, which has the miraculous effect of preventing sharks from being near you.
Next: 3D-printed Bikinis
