COTTON CLAY
April 1st, 2004
BY MONICA DOBIE
AMERICAN scientists have developed a new hybrid material made of cotton and clay, with strong heat resistance, durability and suppleness. Researchers mixed microscopic montmorillonite clay particles, the same type used in cat litter, into cotton fibres dissolved by a solvent that was later removed. The mixture was dried, resulting in clay particles becoming embedded throughout the cotton matrix.
Researchers from the US Agricultural Research Service (ARS) are hoping to market the fabric as protective clothing or as a fire-proof insulator for homes.
AMERICAN scientists have developed a new hybrid material made of cotton and clay, with strong heat resistance, durability and suppleness. Researchers mixed microscopic montmorillonite clay particles, the same type used in cat litter, into cotton fibres dissolved by a solvent that was later removed. The mixture was dried, resulting in clay particles becoming embedded throughout the cotton matrix.
Researchers from the US Agricultural Research Service (ARS) are hoping to market the fabric as protective clothing or as a fire-proof insulator for homes.
Full access to this article can be arranged with permission from the client that first ordered it. Please contact us to request access. Entries are uploaded to our archive at least one year after being published by a client – free access is restricted to International News Services journalists for background research only. The article date indicates when copy was filed to a client, not when posted to this archive. Upon client requests, International News Services will remove such articles from the archive or not upload them in the first place. They are included to demonstrate the breadth of topics undertaken by the agency and also to help promote clients’ coverage.