This innovative development from Shenkar, an academic institution for engineering, design, and art, aims to assist future soldiers on the battlefield in dealing with toxic gas attacks by changing the color of their clothing from yellow to green. It can also enhance safety for workers in chemical industries by directly indicating exposure to toxic gases on their clothing without the need for tags or dedicated meters.
The technology, developed by Shenkar's Department of Polymer Materials Engineering in collaboration with the Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Shenkar's Textile Research Center, and the German Fraunhofer Institute (also known for inventing the MP3 format), and funded by MAFAT, involves the creation of a polymeric fiber or thread. This fiber can be industrially woven or knitted into clothing and changes its chemical properties (color and electrical charge) upon contact with ammonia gas, which is hazardous to humans.
In an interview with "Walla Technology," Prof. Elizabeth Amir, head of the Chemical Engineering Department and a senior lecturer in Shenkar's Polymer Materials Engineering Department, explained that the active material in the sensor is an organic molecule with a structure that enables it to react with toxic gases like ammonia and potentially other gases in the future.
"Ammonia is one of the most common toxic gases, so we chose to focus on it initially," explained the professor of chemical engineering. "High concentrations of ammonia in the air can cause health damage and even death. The sensor's chemical structure changes, which triggers the color change. The innovation in this development is the production of a continuous textile fiber that, through material combinations, becomes a gas sensor. (Previously, the detection material existed in powder form - N.L.)," said Prof. Amir.
She further explained that in the future, the sensor could also be connected to other electronic systems integrated into the fabric. For example, in the case of a factory, it could signal a command or control center about possible ammonia gas contamination. The goal is, of course, to eventually adapt the sensor to other hazardous gases commonly found on the battlefield.
However, a surprising field where this Israeli development could be applied is food packaging. Prof. Amir noted that "there are efforts to develop smart packaging that indicates, for example, the expiration of a product more accurately than a printed expiry date. For example, meat and fish release gases like ammonia and sulfur when they spoil. Thus, this development could also be suitable for the food industry and other fields such as cosmetics. Sensors are the next generation of packaging, with fabric being the 'packaging' of the body," she concluded.
The development of this innovative fabric sensor also involved Prof. Anna Dotan, head of the Polymer Materials Engineering Department, and Gilad Otorogust, the lead researcher and faculty member in Shenkar's department.