Auxetic fabrics provide safety and comfort for protective clothing
When everyday materials are pulled, they stretch or elongate in the direction of the pull and become narrower in cross-section – a property that can be observed in two-dimensional textiles.
Auxetic structures behave differently. They have the striking property of not changing under tensile stress or even increasing their width or thickness. These properties are advantageous, for example, in protective textiles or textile filter media. Researchers at the German Institutes of Textile and Fiber Research (DITF), Germany, are now researching auxetic fabrics for various applications.
For the full story, see the January 2026 edition of Smart Textiles & Wearables.
Photo: DITF