ABSTRACT
Nanofibrous materials are used for lightweight technical textiles. This chapter covers various futuristic potential nanofibrous material spun via needleless technology and its inherent properties utilized for creating application in the field of technical textiles. Potential futuristic technical textile materials are nylon 6.6, high-strength polyester, polyacrylonitrile (PAN), PAN/CNT composite fibers, polybutadiene–styrene rubber (PBSR), activated carbon nanofibers (ACNFs), polycarbosilane, composite materials for silicon carbide composite fibers, chitosan webs, functionalized nanowebs with inorganic nanoadditives and pigments for detoxification, and other applications. These high-performance materials are spun under needleless nanospider technology and coated on nanowoven textiles. The coated fabric has various technical properties, such as flame-retardancy; UV protection; high porosity; toxic chemical resistance; ferro-magnetic properties; anti-microbial/fungal, anti-bacterial, and higher bacterial filtration efficiency; ballistic performance; and water and oil repellence. The advantages of these materials over traditional textiles are a higher degree of performance enhancement due to the higher surface area/m2 even with minimal coating density (0.2–1.8 g/m2). Research has emphasized using nanofibers under rugged conditions without any damage in to the fiber structures. Higher-performance materials have the full scope of being practical, having a longer useable (substantiality) life, and using scalable technology. This chapter discusses nanofiber web coatings, including the underlying theories, principles, and operational processes of nozzle-less technology. It also covers experimental results, characterization methods, and commercial applications. The chapter emphasizes the integration of nanofiber webs into high-tech technical textiles, as well as the future potential of nanofiber-coated web technology. In particular, for the majority of technical textile segments, the research points to nozzleless technology (through spinning electrodes) as a potential method for producing lower-weight functional fabrics with increased comfort and functionality.
