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Institute of Arts, Design and Performance / Circular Design / Textile Engineering and Materials Research Group (TEAM)

Textile Engineering and Materials Research Group (TEAM)

TEAM Research Group was established in the early 1990s to undertake research in textiles. TEAM researchers have a wide range of specialist knowledge and expertise, currently focusing on the research to develop innovative eco-friendly textile processes and sustainable textile materials. TEAM seek to improve the performance and design of textile materials for industry through applied research in four inter-related areas:

Textile Products and Processing

  • High performance technical, medical and military textiles
  • Nanotechnology for enhanced performance
  • Industrial textiles, protective clothing and composites

Enzymes and Sustainable Technologies

  • Application of biotechnology and laser technology
  • Re-use, re-manufacture and recycling of textiles
  • Environmental and social assessment

Agriculture and Natural Fibres

  • Plant fibres from non-food crops
  • Process engineering for plant fibre extraction
  • Protein fibres and textiles

Material Performance and Design

  • 3D textile design and surface patterning
  • Textile laboratory testing and wearer trials
  • Wearable technology
  • Sustainable design and the circular economy
  • Sustainable materials and garment longevity
  • Product innovation and future textiles
  • Performance sportswear and apparel
  • Contour innovation

Contact

For details about TEAM research areas and projects, please contact:

Professor Jinsong Shen, Professor of Textile Chemistry and Biotechnology

T: +44(0)116 2577558
E: jshen@dmu.ac.uk

Research projects
Textile Engineering and Materials Research Group (TEAM)

Textile recycling and reuse for circular economy

TEAM is currently developing biobased textile materials and innovative technologies for recycling and reuse of post-consumer and post-industrial waste textile materials to support textile sectors transition towards circularity. Research project (ENZBIOTEX) received research funding from Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) (Grant Ref: BB/X011623/1) for developing novel approaches of enzyme-based biotechnology to achieve textiles recovery and reuse for circularity.

Textile Engineering and Materials Research Group (TEAM)

Natural bast fibres (Flax, hemp and nettle fibres) for sustainable textile materials

Flax, hemp and nettles are all bast fibres which are harvested from the stems of plants. These fibres are a sustainable choice for textiles as their cultivation requires little to no irrigation and no chemical pesticides, and these plants all capture carbon from the atmosphere while growing.

TEAM have developed an optimised mechanical process to produce clean and well separated fibres from the woody core of the stem. After they are further cottonised into individual fibres, these fibres are very soft and can be blended with cotton for spinning into yarns. Laboratory trials led to the development and establishment of a commercial scale decortication system and cottonisation process for flax, hemp and nettle fibre.

A significant benefit for using bast fibres in textiles is demonstrated from the wool/hemp blended upholstery fabrics, as these have an intrinsic flame-retardant property without the requirement of flame-retardant chemical finishing.

Textile Engineering and Materials Research Group (TEAM)

3D print for textile surface design

The current research is to developing 3D printing technology on textile materials to create textile surface design with specific functionality. The quality and the performance of 3D printing on textile fabrics based on FDM (Fused Deposition Modelling) were investigated in term of dimensional stability and sufficient attachment of the printed patterns on the fabrics. The current work demonstrated the ability to create different design patters in 3D on the fabrics. High quality of 3D patterns with precise and detail design can be printed on textile fabrics in strong attachment durable to wash.

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