Bokashi Silk Thread

During my last stay in Hong Kong, I met Elizabeth Briel, who is an American visual artist, operating in Hong Kong and Athens. We usually take the chance to catch up when I am in Hong Kong, and Elizabeth is always working on interesting projects with a technological twist. This time, she introduced me to a silk thread from Kyoto which is plated with metals, including gold. The material has the properties of silk and gets a metal shine, which can range over a whole rainbow in colours, depending on the metals used. It is a hugely labour-intensive production process, which even includes the work of children, as they have the ability to do such fine work. The material is usually used for high en embroidery. We have seen no woven fabric yet. Talking to Chinese friends, caught their interest. Would it be possible to produce enough of the thread to weave a fabric that can be used in for example an extremely exclusive wedding dress?

Perhaps the answer to this question leads to Tilburg, a city in the Netherlands that once was the centre of a “European wool empire”, and then diversified rather creatively into other industries. But building on this heritage, there is a Textile Lab on the premises of the Tilburg Textile Museum. It is a fascinating place, which acts as a “development lab for makers” in textile. During a visit, I saw that in the lab, there are conductive yarns on the shelf. Would it be possible to produce a silk yarn and twill in a microscopically thin copper thread? Then use the conductivity to plate the silk with gold using electrolysis? What would that look like? And could such a process produce enough to put it on a loom? A few weeks later, I was able to meet Vera De Pont, who is working as a yarn specialist in the lab. Vera kindly met me in the museum library, and Elizabeth joined online to brainstorm on the possibilities of a future project. This was a first and very productive step. I guess, experimenting first with different twill structures and settings of electrolysis is a good way to start seeing what happens in practice. This sounds like occupying a good part of my summer break.

(Photo of the silk yarn by Elizabeth Briel 2021)

Janthinobacterium lividum

In the Earth Matters exhibition of the Tilburg Textile Museum, I came across an interesting application of Janthinobacter Lividum, and aerobe bacteria, which dark purple colour can be used to dye textiles. Laura Luchtmann and Ilfa Siebenhaar additionally applied sounds at different frequencies to achieve different and very fine patterns. Unfortunately, the photo I took is not clear to show the real colour and its structure. But it's really interesting and very pretty. 

One of the exhibits by Laura Luchtmann and Ilfa Siebenhaar showing the color patterns achieves by the application of different sound frequencies on Janthinobacter lividum dying silk (Tilburg Textile Museum, 27.08.2017)

I liked all the museum. It is a mix of historical introduction into the textile industry, which was a commercial pillar of Tilburg. But beyond old machinery, it contains a lab with modern looms and brings the visitor to the innovative side of fabrics. 

View into the lab area of the Tilburg Textile Museum.

Plastic Clothes

When I went to the customs in Germany to receive my stamp for tax refund before I go back to China, the officer was puzzled and asked me to open my suitcase. There was nothing wrong with the items themselves, but when he saw a collection of environmental testing chemicals and lab equipment, he felt that he wanted to confirm: "This is really for private use?"

Today was a hazy day and I spent a bit of time sorting out the equipment and played around with it: radioactive exposure is low, tab water in general parameters quite good, air quality disastrous. But then wow: formaldehyde! Where could this come from? Finally I found, that it comes from a few chemical fiber textiles I have bought in China. Formaldehyde is banned also in China, but N-methylol derivatives are used as reactant cross-linking agents to give the fabric shape stability and a "high grade finish". As catalysts for this process dialylated tin derivatives are also used. The first is known as a strong carcinogen, the second causes allergic reactions. Specially Chinese low to mid range lady fashion is entirely made of "plastic". Also many outdoor clothes, as they are supposed to be light, water resistant and fast drying and sports clothes of course too.

If a dress is supposed to set a heart on fire, then be careful, because without organophosphate substances as flame retardant this could be even dangerous. Even I have never witnesses that this kind of spark set clothes on fire, I remember three incidents in which chemical fibers caused severe injury: a cook who spilled boiling water on is legs in the army, a Nylon camping tent which caught fire and a car accident where the vehicle caught fire. In the first case I was providing first aid and wanted to cut open the trousers, but had to find that it had melted into the burned skin. In the two other cases any help came too late. Of course this was not just a result of chemical fiber clothing, but it made it worse. I also remember a comment of a Naval officer, who said that about 30 % of the men they lost in the South Atlanik War in the sinking of the Battleship Belgrano died in the flames because they Uniforms were switched to cheaper material before. 

Now this sounds a bit an extreme reason why to avoid "plastic clothes". And also the health effects of many chemicals used are disputed. So, it might not be "too bad". But I just ask myself: why? Plastic clothes look cheap (even they not always are). They do not breathe well and get stingy easily. Sure, you can reduce that by adding biocides as anti-microbal agent to make them stink later. Antimicobic material for lingery, for example. How sexy can it get? How about just taking a shower from time to time and apply normal procedures of personal hygiene?

Sure, it is not easy to make something "pretty" out of chemical fibers, but often they are choosen because they are easy care. But are they really? Just a little bit too high ironing temperature and they are distroyed forever. Repairing is either not possible or not worth it. I understand the advantages of chemical fibers for outdoor clothing quite well, but even the "easy care properties" of cotton, wool, linen and silk are also very good. Just hang them on a tree and let them dry. And even they are a bit ruffled. At least they smell like fresh are and not like an oil rig.