Looking for something cutting-edge to wear but Lady Gaga’s meat dress a bit too outrageous? Then how about a new liquid material that could be literally sprayed directly onto your body, transforming into fabric on contact? It’s now possible, thanks to engineers at Imperial College London.
New Scientist reports of the new liquid that’s made up of cotton fibers, polymers and a solvent that becomes a fabric when sprayed. The fabric is formed by the cross-linking of fibers which adhere to create an instant non-woven fabric. It can be applied in layers either by a spray gun or an aerosol can to create a garment of your desired thickness. It can also be washed and worn again like conventional fabrics (see video below for a demonstration).
According to Fabrican, the company holding the patent to the instant, sprayable fabric, the technology is opening up “new vistas” beyond fashion, such as spray-on bandages . “It’s a sterilised material coming from an aerosol can, and you can add drugs to it to help a wound heal faster,” says Dr. Manel Torres, from the Royal College of Art.
Torres developed the material with help from Paul Luckham, a particle engineer at imperial College London.
A fashion show at Imperial will be held on Monday, where the first couture collection created with the material will be on the catwalk.
