A coated staple fiber (1) suitable for obtaining protective and floating padding, having a core consisting of at least one natural and/or man-made organic staple fiber (F) and comprising: I) a base tackifier layer (A) which covers the natural and/or man-made organic staple fiber (F) and which comprises a hydrocarbon resin II) an intermediate heat insulating and fire retardant layer (B) which covers the base layer (A) and which comprises aerogel microparticles evenly but not continuously distributed, III) a top hydrophobic layer (C) which covers the intermediate layer (B) and which comprises organosilanes, wherein the base layer (A) binds the intermediate layer (B) to the natural and/or man-made organic staple fiber (F) and the intermediate layer (B) is included between the base layer (A) and the top layer (C).

A method of making an antimicrobial textile comprising TiO.sub.2 nanoparticles is described. The TiO.sub.2 nanoparticles are immobilized by first treating a textile with a base, and then contacting with TiO.sub.2 nanoparticles in a solution of an alcohol and acid. The textile may be subsequently irradiated with UV light prior to use. The antimicrobial textile shows high effectiveness against the growth and proliferation of microorganisms transmitted within indoor environments.

Silk coated and/or infused performance materials, apparel, and methods of preparing the same are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, silk performance apparel includes textiles, fabrics, consumer products, and other materials that are coated with aqueous solutions of pure silk fibroin-based protein fragments having low, medium, and/or high molecular weight in various ratios.

An object of the present invention is to provide a fabric capable of easily and inexpensively forming a desired three-dimensional shape. The fabric according to the present invention contains an artificial protein fiber that contains a protein, in which the fabric has a surface including: a portion A that shrinks at a predetermined shrinkage rate when being brought into contact with water; and a portion B that has a shrinkage rate lower than that of the portion A when being brought into contact with water.

The disclosure provides a fibrous material comprising a plurality of fibers, the fibers being natural or synthetic cellulosic fibers or natural or synthetic protein fibers, and wherein the fibers are treated with a cationic compound. The disclosure also provides a method for imparting improved compatibility with quaternary ammonium compounds to a fibrous material, including: providing a fibrous material comprising a plurality of fibers, the fibers being natural or synthetic cellulosic fibers or natural or synthetic protein fibers; optionally, pre-treating the fibrous material with a base; treating the fibrous material with at least one cationic compound to impart improved compatibility with quaternary ammonium compounds; and optionally, further treating the treated fibrous material with a polymer or resin.

Protein-coated materials comprising a substrate, a first coating and a second protein coating, and methods for making these protein-coated materials are provided. The first coating can be a salt coating or a polymer coating. The protein coating can include a recombinant protein. The substrate can be, for example, a yarn, or a sheet material.

A method of making an antimicrobial textile comprising TiO.sub.2 nanoparticles is described. The TiO.sub.2 nanoparticles are immobilized by first treating a textile with a base, and then contacting with TiO.sub.2 nanoparticles in a solution of an alcohol and acid. The textile may be subsequently irradiated with UV light prior to use. The antimicrobial textile shows high effectiveness against the growth and proliferation of microorganisms transmitted within indoor environments.

Functional agent-containing fibers according to an embodiment of the present invention, wherein a functional agent is supported by silicone fixed to the fibers. The silicone includes an acrylic-modified organopolysiloxane having two or more acrylic groups per molecule. A rate of decrease in the functional agent after the functional agent-containing fibers are washed 10 times is less than 40%. In the present invention, the functional agent-containing fibers may be produced, e.g., by irradiating fibers impregnated with a fiber treatment agent A containing silicone with an electron beam so that the silicone is fixed to the fibers, and impregnating the fibers to which the silicone has been fixed with a fiber treatment agent B containing a functional agent. The functional agent-containing fibers may be produced, e.g., by impregnating fibers with a fiber treatment agent C containing silicone and a functional agent and irradiating the fibers impregnated with the fiber treatment agent C with an electron beam so that the silicone is fixed to the fibers and the functional agent is supported by the silicone fixed to the fibers. Thus, functional agent-containing fibers having improved washing resistance and a method for producing the fibers are provided.

A method for the treatment of wool garments with ozone gas to control and inhibit their felting and shrinkage during their subsequent industrial finishing process and/or domestic washing care, and a wool garment treated with said method. The method includes wetting the garments and treating the garments inside the interior of a rotative tumbler for a time period of between 15 and 60 minutes at ambient temperature with ozone gas, the ozone gas being at a concentration in air of between 20 g ozone/Nm.sup.3 and 150 g ozone/Nm.sup.3, where the rotative tumbler which contains the garments is rotated at a speed of between 10 rounds/min and 25 rounds/min. The method is improved by adding treating the garments with enzymes.

The present invention provides a modified fibroin fiber having a shrinkage history of being irreversibly shrunk after spinning, the modified fibroin fiber containing modified fibroin, wherein a fiber diameter of a raw material fiber before being irreversibly shrunk exceeds 25 μm.