The Laboratoire Commun sur les Textiles Innovants Fonctionnels (LACTIF) was selected at the end of 2019 under the ANR LabCom program. It’ll strengthen the existing collaboration between NIMBE and EUROPROTECT.
This joint laboratory comprises two main areas of work. The first aims to implement a new technology in the textile sector, compatible with REACH regulations, and enabling textiles to be given hydro-oleophobic properties as a replacement for perfluorinated polymers. The chosen strategy is the “sol-gel” route. The second area of work concerns the coating of textiles with graphene objects to ensure either a moderate level of thermal conductivity for thermal comfort, or very high thermal and electrical conductivity for stealth (military). Two processes will be evaluated, one in liquid form, the other in gaseous form.
In this way, LACTIF will enable the introduction of new, even breakthrough technologies that are compatible with the textile industry. Two industrial pilot lines will be set up, one for hydro-oleophobic coatings, which will be marketed in the very short term at the end of LACTIF, and the other for graphene-based coatings, which will be marketed in the thermal comfort sector at the end of LACTIF.