Exciting Nano Potential

Victoria University PhD graduates Dr Fern Kelly and Dr Kerstin Burridge have completed parallel research projects pioneering a way of embedding tiny nanoparticles of gold and silver in New Zealand wool. When the precious metals are reduced to the nanoscale (a nanoparticle is one billionth of a metre in diameter) they scatter light in different colours with silver appearing as yellow, peach, pink and purple and gold producing a range of brilliant hues. That means textiles in many colours can be created without using traditional — and mostly synthetic — dyes, adding to the sustainability of the innovation. Dr Kelly says there is exciting potential to use the silver wools in a range of commercial applications. “We’re looking at the benefits of including the fibre in carpets and also in upholstery on aeroplanes and public transport — places where textiles get a lot of use but it isn’t practical to clean them all the time.”