Electronically active textiles

An important number of these substances have an industrial origin. Some of them, like the pesticides, arrive intentionally in the environment and their use and release should be theoretically controlled. However, many of them have not been purposely produced as bioactive substances but more as components or additives of certain materials. Their significant growth in the chemical industry has not only been produced as a consequence of the discovery of new active principles in the pharmaceutical or pesticide area, but also because of the expansion of new technologies (electronics, containers, textiles, plastics, resins, foams, etc.), that require the development of new materials and substances with particular features. Most of these substances enter or are discharged to water and air sources without regulated controls. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are often not yet adapted to completely remove them, and therefore these new compounds can be found to some extent in wastewater effluents as well as in soil and sludge. 

However, motor speed was also the first function in washing machines to be electronically controlled. The standard nowadays are controllable AC- or DC-mo-tors. Depending on the textile type or wash program, such drives can be used to achieve optimal wash speeds, reversing rhythms and activation times. Usually a tachogenerator on the motor is used as a speed sensor. Such a smaller modem motor, connected to a small electronic control unit, is shown on the right hand side of Fig. 3.2. 

The PBDEs (decaBDE, octaBDE, and pentaBDE) and are used as flame retardants in plastics, electronic equipment, printed circuit boards, vehicles, furniture, textiles, carpets, and building materials. Global demand has increased rapidly since the 1970s with 70,000 tonnes produced in 2001. Their flame retardant activity relies on decomposition at high temperatures, leading to the release of bromine atoms. This slows the chemical reactions that drive 02-dependent fires. HBCDs are a flame retardant added to extruded and expanded polystyrene that is used as thermal insulation in buildings. 

The aim of the chemical industry is to provide industry and people in general with functional products, which have a precise use in different activities such as pharmaceuticals, mechanics, electricity, electronics, textile, food, and so on. 

---