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2023

The new darling of the textile industry: functional textiles

With the development of society, people's requirements for clothing are no longer just to shelter the cold, nor is it only fashionable and beautiful. Higher requirements are put forward for the functionality of clothing and home textile fabrics, such as convenience (easy to wash, quick drying, no fading, iron-free, anti-shrinkage, etc.), comfort (soft and adaptable, moisture-wicking, skin-friendly and breathable), protection and health care (anti-ultraviolet, antibacterial, antistatic, anti-odor, anti-insect), etc.

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Functional textiles came into being

Functional textiles refer to textiles that have special functions such as health care and protection in addition to conventional decoration and warmth, such as far-infrared textiles, anti-ultraviolet textiles, chitin fabrics, anti-mite fabrics, magnetic therapy products, vitamin fabrics, antibacterial fabrics, etc.

Functional fabrics refer to fabrics with certain special properties and uses, such as waterproof, windproof, breathable, moisture permeable, warm, oil-proof, easy to decontaminate, anti-bacterial and deodorant, anti-ultraviolet, anti-static, anti-radiation, anti-flame retardant, high temperature resistance, acid and alkali resistance and other functions. At present, the functional fabrics on the market are mainly clothing fabrics, which are mostly used in outdoor sportswear and high-end casual wear. Among the current new functional textile materials, polyester fiber is the most developed synthetic fiber.

Pseudo-functionality leads to a crisis of confidence in the market

At present, in the development of textile materials in various countries around the world, the research of functional textile fibers dominates, and clearly reflects the characteristics of market refinement. Functional textiles are becoming more and more popular with consumers, and many manufacturers are also engaged in the development and production of various functional textiles.

However, some domestic manufacturers and businesses cater to consumer psychology, use some high-tech concepts with the mentality of quick success and quick profit, and carry out excessive hype on some functions of their products, but they are unwilling to invest in science and technology. This makes the development of functional textiles for the public in China stagnate, and is in a weak position in international competition, and also loses the trust of domestic consumers, and individual industries are even facing a crisis of trust in the industrial market.

A prime example of this is the thermal underwear market. In recent years, the domestic thermal underwear market has experienced one cold winter after another. Nowadays, when you walk into various shopping malls in various parts of the country, you will find that the cheapest is thermal underwear, and the price tag is almost always marked with the word "special", and the original price of 400-600 yuan is only sold for 99-49 yuan. This kind of price storm is not spared by well-known domestic brands such as Antarctic people, red beans, and Arctic velvet. Merchants only focus on sales interests to speculate on new concepts, and in the end they will only lose a larger market.

In the European market, functional fabric T-shirts are often sold for more than twice as much as regular T-shirts. In China, the price of underwear containing new fiber fabrics such as Modal and soybean fiber is several times or even dozens of times that of ordinary underwear. The high demand for high-tech fabrics has prompted a large number of manufacturers to focus on the development of high-tech functional fabrics.

At present, functional fibers in developed countries are developing rapidly. According to reports, functional textiles account for 39% of all textiles in Japan, 21% in Europe, and 28% in the United States. Overall, Japan is a world leader in the research and development of functional fibers in the fields of textiles and medicine and health, and Europe and the United States are in the research of functional fibers in the industrial and high-tech fields.

According to 2011 statistics, the market size of functional fabrics in China reached 67.37 billion yuan, accounting for about 19.91% of the annual output value of printed and dyed fabrics. From the perspective of functional demand, antistatic, anti-wrinkle, and antibacterial functional fabrics rank among the top three, and brand suppliers are mostly concentrated in Fujian, Zhejiang and other provinces and cities.

Standards, testing and certification of functional textiles

China is a big producer of textiles, but also a big consumer. There are many domestic textile manufacturers, fierce competition, after China's accession to the WTO, the export volume of textiles has gradually increased, and high-grade functional textiles will undoubtedly be in short supply. Therefore, the use of high-tech research and development of functional fabrics is of great significance for improving the international competitiveness of China's textile industry, and it also has a broad market development space.

Europe, the United States, Japan and other countries are increasing technical trade barriers, especially green barriers, China's textile exports have been seriously marketed. According to incomplete statistics, the coverage of textiles that do not meet the "green" requirements in China is about 15%, affecting exports of nearly 8 billion US dollars.

The certification of functional textiles should meet the requirements of domestic and foreign markets for quality and safety standards. At present, it is not uncommon for functional products on the market to mix up with pearls, and many functional textiles, especially those given special functions by post-finishing, will irritate human skin due to improper use of finishing agents or finishing processes, and even induce lesions, posing a potential threat to human health. At present, the competition in the functional textile market is quite fierce, and with brand certification, you can not only obtain high-quality products, but also enhance the visibility of products in the domestic market and increase their added value.

The testing of functional textiles is also the need to standardize the domestic market and protect the interests of domestic consumers. Without testing and certification by authoritative institutions, consumers cannot distinguish their authenticity, and it is difficult to protect their own rights and interests. The greater significance of functional textile certification lies in the fact that it should become a weapon for international competition and international market competition, and promote domestic functional textiles to the world and be in line with international standards.

How to speed up the research and development of functional textiles in China, industry experts believe that the following three aspects need to be paid special attention to:

1. Attach great importance to the research and development of high-tech textiles in an important position;

Second, it is necessary to increase investment and strengthen scientific and technological research and development;

3. Strengthen cooperation with scientific research institutions and jointly develop new special varieties and functional products, so as to achieve technological innovation and the optimal combination of key elements, so that scientific and technological achievements can be transformed into modern productivity in a timely manner, and enhance the product competitiveness of enterprises, which is a relatively successful experience in the foreign textile industry.

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