Israeli researchers develop gas-sensitive textile that could be worn by soldiers

ISRAELI researchers have developed a fibre that changes colour when exposed to toxic gas, which they say could be incorporated into military apparel.

The fibre, developed by a team at the Department of Polymer Materials Engineering at Shenkar College in Tel Aviv, changes colour from yellow to green when exposed to ammonia. The researchers say the fibre can be woven or knitted into clothing to change its colour when exposed to the gas. 

The research was funded by Israel’s ministry of defence, with the goal of developing military apparel that can indicate a soldier’s exposure to toxic chemicals on the battlefield.

Elizabeth Amir, head of the Chemical Engineering Department at Shenkar College, told Israeli tech website Walla: “Ammonia is one of the most common toxic gases and we chose to focus on it initially. Ammonia in high concentrations in the air can cause health damage and even death.”  

However, while ammonia is a toxic gas, it is not typically used in chemical warfare and the goal is to adapt the fibre to react with chemicals more commonly used in combat.

The team also hopes their technology can be taken up by factories whose workers are at high risk of ammonia exposure.

Smart packaging

Amir is also excited by the prospect of using the new material to develop the “next generation of packaging”.

When meat and fish spoil, they release ammonia and sulfur. Packaging that changes colour could provide a clear indication of when food is unsafe to eat, offering a more accurate alternative to printed use-by dates.

Military R&D

A publicly funded college founded to provide academic qualifications and industrial R&D, Shenkar is also known for its art and design courses specialising in textiles. In 2019, Fashionista magazine ranked it among the 25 best fashion schools in the world. The college’s Textile Research Center assisted with the development of the new fibre. 

The college’s latest textile engineering research comes soon after a defence technology investment push from the Israeli ministry of defence, which last month announced a five-fold increase in investment for small businesses and startups.