lab rats

NOW FOR THE REDICULOUS

Graphene could help make smart textiles even smarter

Researchers at University of Exeter in the UK believe graphene, widely accepted as being the thinnest material on earth, could hold the key to the creation of affordable, durable and mass-produced smart textiles.

SMART TEXTILES(?) how does an inanimate material get smart; or how does it get anything?

A team at the university’s engineering department have developed a new technique to create electronic fibres that can be incorporated into the production of everyday clothing.

How will the everyday clothing benefit with electronic fibers incorporated in them?

The researchers weave graphene-based fibres directly into the fabric, eliminating the need for additional materials like electrodes or wires. They have said this compares favourably with current methods which see the creation of wearable electronics by essentially gluing devices to fabrics. This can mean they are too rigid and susceptible to malfunctioning.

You know that the graphene is a costly material so the addition of the graphene in the material will increase the cost of the garment; and will there be a benefit? I think not!!

The technique allows for the creation of touch-sensor and light-emitting devices. Other potential applications for the technology include health monitoring, such as heart rates and blood pressure, and medical diagnostics.

Now I understand the application; all people wearing clothing made with the graphene will be lit up like Christmas trees. The light-emitting devices would be good if you walk at night.

Professor Monica Craciun, co-author of the research and leader of the project, said: “For truly wearable electronic devices to be achieved, it is vital that the components are able to be incorporated within the material, and not simply added to it.”

The professor has a “make work project” that ultimately will never come to pass.

For her part, Dr Ana Neves, co-author and also from the University of Exeter’s engineering department, added: “The key to this new technique is that the textile fibres are flexible, comfortable and light, while being durable enough to cope with the demands of modern life.”

I wonder if she can detail and explain what the demands of everyday life are that this fabric will be durable enough for.

The international research project included experts from the Centre for Graphene Science at the University of Exeter, the Universities of Aveiro and Lisbon in Portugal, and CenTexBel in Belgium. Their findings have been published in scientific journal ‘Flexible Electronics’.

Lots of universities are involved in this project which will in my educated opinion amount to nothing after all is said and done. But what the hey the university crowd has to justify their existence and Sportstextiles the online publication that wrote the article has to justify their existence, so we have the blind leading the blind; which is ridiculous.

There was a time when an individual would take the time and make the efforts to develop a new product or improve upon an existing product on their own. The thought of getting together with a research laboratory of a university did not exist.

Today an individual who thinks they have an idea etc. goes to a research laboratory of a university to do the work for them. The research laboratory gets told what is to be accomplished and based upon no knowledge of the subject they delve head first into the project. They have no background knowledge but that does not matter, they are a research laboratory at the university so they must know something.

This is how the process works today. A perfect example is the fact that gore can show that their material used for rain garments will allow a certain amount of moist vapor to pass through it in a laboratory setting; great. Now take the fabric and construct a rain garment and go into the rain and low and behold what took place in the laboratory does not happen in the field.

Today there are a significant number of materials as well as additives incorporated into those materials that can be shown in the laboratory to do something, however when those same materials are converted into garments the performance results do not support the laboratory claims.

There is but one situation where the laboratory claims did not come close to the performance of the product in the field.

March 1990 Elizabeth A. McCullough Ph.D. Associate Director of IER (INSTITUTE FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH) Professor of Textile Science wrote report IER #90-05

Unbeknownst to me Cleanese Corp submitted two sleeping bags to Kansas State University for testing. One bag was the North Face Igloo and the other the Wiggy’s Ultima Thule. The mean or average clo reading for the Igloo was 6.7 and the clo reading for the Ultima Thule was 4.9. Remember in May 1986 KSU tested my e.5 pound Ultra Light and had a clo reading of 4.5. So now they are testing a bag from Wiggy’s that weighs 6 pounds.

The Ultra Light temperature rating from Wiggy’s is plus 20 degrees and the Super light from Wiggy’s has a 6.7 clos reading and performs at 0 degrees. The igloo was if memory serves correct was rated to -40 degrees. It is not now nor has it been made for probably 25 years. The Ultima Thule is rated by Wiggy’s is conservatively rated for -20 degrees.

As you can see the laboratory claim was as big a lie at that time as was Elizabeth’s claim to have the knowledge necessary to test sleeping bags in a laboratory. The North Face bag rated for -40 degrees never did perform below 0 degrees and was eventually replaced with the Dark Star that also proved not to perform below 0 degrees even though it was rated for -40 degrees.

I trust you understand the reason that I blatantly refuse to enter laboratory testing. Others who buy my products are free to do all the laboratory testing they want; my laboratory is the world outside of the laboratory. My products especially sleeping bags have proven for 30 years to be the most accurately rated (actually under rated) sleeping bags ever made.

I guess these universities have lots of money that they must spend or the governments around the world wouldn’t replenish what is spent if it isn’t.

All of these laboratories are loaded with these laboratory rats!!!