Nanotechnology, a technological advance that common Chinese have looked on as something done in closed labs, first showed its impact on daily life with men's neckties.

Scientists from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) said that the nano surface disposal technique has made silk, woolen and cotton textiles waterproof and oil-proof.

Such characteristics are important for neckties and other clothes for special purposes, said Dong Yongrong, general manager of the necktie producer that first developed so-called "nano neckties", cooperated with the CAS.

"We tried to apply the traditional waterproof technique to the neckties but it made silk feel rough," Dong said. "The nano technique retains the soft and comfortable qualities of silk."

Scientists borrowed the idea from lotus leaves: Water slides down a tie instead of absorbing into the material, said Song Yanlin, an expert from CAS.

"We used a certain technique to develop a tiny fuzz-like framework on the surface of cloth, just like that on lotus leaves, with the size smaller than 100 nano-meters," Song said. "The fuzz absorbs air molecules and forms a thin covering that protects the cloth from oil and water."

Clothing treated with this technique is supposed to stay clean for quite a long time and does not need to be washed frequently, he added.

The CAS scientists have also developed other nano surface disposal technique that greatly improves ability of artificial textiles to absorb water, prevents woolen cloth from shrinking and protects silk from discoloration.

Nanotechnology will come into wider use with clothing, Song predicted, adding that someday, people will wear clothes that can sense the surrounding changes of light, sound, temperature, humidity, radiation, and even fluctuations in body temperature.

(Xinhua News Agency 09/19/2001)