Multidisciplinary research in fibres and textiles

Fibre and textile is a highly multidisciplinary field, drawing from fields such as mechanics, chemistry, material, physiology and art. In history, very few materials have affected human's lives more than fibres and textiles. Fibre materials will continue to play their important role in our daily life, and such important role is also extending to other non-textile areas. This paper gives selected examples of multidisciplinary research activities performed in the Centre for Material and Fibre Innovation (CMFI) at Deakin University, Australia, with an emphasis on emerging fields in fibres and textiles, including nano-structured surface functional treatments. electrospinning of ultrafine fibres, and new applications, of natural fibres.