Oak Ridge Nat Lab develops low cost textile coding system
07 Jul '05
3 min read
The encoding system is far less expensive on a per taggant basis than other information encoding systems such as those that use DNA or radio frequency identification. In addition, Allgood and others involved in the collaboration believe the ORNL technology offers a number of distinct advantages such as no impact on material properties and multiple uses at a lower cost.
Recently completed tests confirm that the ORNL tagging process works and can survive the textile manufacturing process, which includes scouring, bleaching, mercerizing, dyeing and finishing. Next, Allgood and colleagues at North Carolina State University's College of Textiles plan to conduct tests using elements of a first-generation system and work with an industry partner to conduct field tests.
"Once the marking system becomes fully operational, the U.S. Customs Service will have the tool to clearly identify apparel made with U.S. textiles in accordance with trade agreements," said Hardy Poole, a member of the research team. "This will be invaluable to our government in its efforts to eliminate the illegal importation of millions of dollars of non-U.S. textiles that enter our country annually."
Other partners in the effort include the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Clemson University and manufacturers of yarn, thread, fabric forming, dyeing and finishing and sewn products.
While the textile industry is the primary customer for the proposed marker system, Allgoodnoted that the technology has many other applications such as for homeland defense, inventory tracking and control, and the military.
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