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Textile Engineer
Develops fabrics and manufacturing processes — from everyday clothing to bulletproof vests and spacesuits.
Did you know?
Weight for weight, spider silk is stronger than steel, and scientists have engineered bacteria, yeast and silkworms to make spider-silk proteins.
How subjects help
- Chemistry: Create dyes that don't fade and coatings that make fabric waterproof or fireproof.
- Physics: Test how far a fibre can stretch and how much force it takes before it tears.
- Mathematics: Calculate thread counts and machine speeds so a factory weaves fabric evenly.
- Art & Design: Develop patterns, textures and colours for fabrics that fashion designers want to use.
A famous name
Edmund Cartwright: Invented the power loom in 1785, which mechanised the weaving of cloth.
Try it yourself: Test surfaces on a sliding ramp
- Rest one end of the book or tray on a low pile of books to make a gentle ramp.
- Put the bottle cap at the top and let go. Does it slide?
- Tape a different surface over the ramp (tea towel, foil, paper) and try again from the same spot.
- Rank the surfaces from most slippery to most grippy. Add or remove books to find the lowest slope where the cap starts to slide on each surface.
Tribologists and materials scientists measure friction between surfaces to design grippier tyres and shoes, and slipperier parts inside engines and machines.
Adapted from TeachEngineering (University of Colorado Boulder): Engineering Friction and Grip.
Also try: Take apart a click pen.
Known for it in
India, China, Italy, Germany, Bangladesh