Popular Science has an excellent article explaining how nanoparticles hold the potential to revolutionize the textile and clothing industries. I have written about this idea before and have even mentioned how billionaire financier Wilbur Ross expects the market for nano-enhanced textiles to surge from $10 billion in 2007 to more than $120 billion in 2011–a twelve-fold increase in just the next four years.
As the Popular Science article explains, the benefits of nano-enhanced textiles go far beyond strain-resistant pants and shirts. By tailoring the use of nanoparticles, garments can also be made to repel bugs (which would be useful in my home state of Minnesota in the summer), antimicrobial underwear (which might be useful for my rather unhygenic six-year old son), as well as for biological and chemical resistant uniforms for the U.S. military.
The article, however, makes one error when it states that because making the nano-fabric will “cost about $10,000” the “germ-busting clothes aren’t likely to be mass-produced anytime soon.” This statement reflects an inability to think exponentially about the future. The writer may be correct in stating that that is the cost today (although the figure sounds awful highly—especially since stain-resistant nano-textiles are already competing with regular textiles), but it is imprudent to expect that the price will remain high.
As various nanotechnology companies, such as Nano-Tex, achieve economies of scale and the price of developing these nanoparticles drops, I fully expect that “functional fabrics” will become the norm and not the exception. The fashion, clothing and textile industries all need to take note of the rapid advances being imade in nanotechnology and begin preparing for this future today.
Jack Uldrich is a writer, public speaker and host of jumpthecurve.net. He is the author of seven books, including Jump the Curve and The Next Big Thing is Really Small: How Nanotechnology Will Change the Future of Your Business, and speaks frequently on future trends, innovation, change management, nanotechnology, robotics, RFID technology and executive leadership to the manufacturing and retail industries.
