Application of microencapsulation in textiles

The textile roots of yeast microencapsulation technology was introduced as were the wide range of applications in food and other business sectors. In microencapsulation in general the number of commercial applications in the textile industry continues to grow particularly in the textile industries of Western Europe, Japan and North America. The move by the more developed countries into textiles with new properties and added value, into medical textile and technical textiles for example has encouraged the industry to use microencapsulation processes as a means of imparting finishes and properties on textiles which were not possible or cost-effective using other technology. Textile manufacturers are demonstrating increasing interest in the application of durable fragrances to textile as well as skin softeners. Other potential applications include, insect repellents, dyes, vitamins, antimicrobials, phase change materials and in specific medical applications, antibiotics, hormones and other drugs. Examples of each technology are described. A short summary of a new microencapsulation technology with roots in the textile industry, yeast based microencapsulation, is also described. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.