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About CSIRO

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation is Australia's national science agency and one of the largest and most diverse research agencies in the world.

CSIRO's core areas of impact
Contact Enquiries: Phone - 1300 363 400 | Email - Enquiries@csiro.au | Contact Us

Overview

 
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Inkjet-printed wool fabric.
Inkjet-printed wool fabric.
Photo: Ms Carmen Martin-Samos

Textiles overview

CSIRO is developing new fibres and fibrous solutions for a range of industry needs.

Textiles is not a single discipline. It is collection of many disciplines that revolve around:

  • the structure, properties and behaviour of fibres
  • how fibres are assembled into fibrous structures and fabrics
  • the making, analysis, sale and end uses of fibres and fabrics.

Our research

Our research includes a variety of natural and artificial textiles, and aims to:

  • provide innovative fibre and fibrous solutions across a broad range of Australia's needs
  • create new commercial products based on advanced fibrous materials
  • stimulate international demand for Australia's natural fibres.

Advanced fibrous materials

CSIRO has an established reputation in fibre and fibrous structures research.

We are now focusing that expertise into the area of advanced fibrous materials for:

  • health and hygiene
  • performance and protection
  • minerals and environment
  • enhancing wool exports
  • fibre solutions.

CSIRO has developed entirely new fibrous materials incorporating carbon nanotubes, composites, biocompatible textile scaffolds, conducting polymers and electrospun nanofibres. High strength, elasticity, conductivity, controlled porosity and giant surface areas can be combined to provide new materials with revolutionary properties.

We also work closely with business in technical textiles, to assist this important and growing segment of the Australian textile industry.

Cotton

CSIRO’s cotton textile research program develops instruments for more precise measurements of cotton quality and improving processing methods.

Our Cottonscan and Siromat instruments are demonstrating to the international cotton industry that they can quickly and routinely measure the fineness and maturity of cotton with high precision.

Wool

CSIRO has an established reputation in fine apparel wool research. We also search for alternative uses for wool as a component in technical textiles for medical, automotive, communication, aerospace, emergency services, or military applications.

We are currently building on our wool expertise to:

  • build on our commercially successful work in electrostatically charged wool filters for applications in personal protection, such as aerosol protection and applications in protective clothing
  • create new or regenerated bio-derived fibres from natural or recombinant sources such as insect silks and feathers.

Find out more about our Advanced fibrous materials: lighter, stronger, smarter.

  • OPTIM™ is a trademark of CSIRO Australia.
 

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Fast facts

  • CSIRO has developed new fibrous materials incorporating carbon nanotubes
  • CSIRO and Bekaert has recently commercialised Sirolock doffer wire, a significant breakthrough in fibre processing efficiency
  • CSIRO created OPTIM™ technology, a new luxury fibre from wool, with a super-light silky feel
  • With collaborators we developed high-speed automated testing for wool fibre contamination
  • A survey by CSIRO of 31 Asian cotton mills has provided vital feedback to the industry on the quality of Australian cotton
  • CSIRO and Michell Ltd have commercialised electrostatically-charged wool and polypropylene filters in personal respirators for domestic and industrial use

Contact Information

Primary Contact

Dr Bill Humphries (PhD)
Officer in Charge, CMSE Geelong
Materials Science and Engineering
Phone: 61 3 52464000 
Fax: 61 3 52464057 

Contact

Ms Heather Forward (MBIT)
Communications Officer, Geelong
Materials Science and Engineering
Phone: 61 3 5246 4085 
Fax: 61 3 5246 4811 

Location

CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering - Geelong
Cnr Henry St and Colac Rd
Belmont, Geelong VIC 3216
Australia
Contact: Reception, Geelong
Phone:61 3 5246 4000 
Fax:61 3 5246 4057