Garments treated with chemical insecticides are commonly used to prevent mosquito bites. Resistance to insecticides, however, is threatening the efficacy of this technology, and people are increasingly concerned about the potential health impacts of wearing insecticide-treated clothing. Here, we report a mathematical model for fabric barriers that resist bites from Aedes aegypti mosquitoes based on textile physical structure and no insecticides. The model was derived from mosquito morphometrics and analysis of mosquito biting behavior. Woven filter fabrics, precision polypropylene plates, and knitted fabrics were used for model validation. Then, based on the model predictions, prototype knitted textiles and garments were developed that prevented mosquito biting, and comfort testing showed the garments to possess superior thermophysiological properties. Our fabrics provided a three-times greater bite resistance than the insecticide-treated cloth. Our predictive model can be used to develop additional textiles in the future for garments that are highly bite resistant to mosquitoes.

This paper provides an overview of the recent definition, technologies and current trends regarding 3D fabrics. In this paper a definition of 3D fabrics, including spacer fabrics, is given and the recent technologies regarding weaving, braiding, weft and warp knitting and tailored fiber placement are presented. Furthermore, an overview of the latest developments in 3D fabrics at the Institut für Textiltechnik of RWTH Aachen University is presented including: large circular 3D knitting, braided and woven structures for medical purposes, newest testing methods and equipment for spacer fabrics, multiaxial fabrics for composites, warp knitted spacer fabrics for space and construction applications, ceramic matrix composite 3D braiding and 4D textiles.

A large deployable reflector antenna (LDA) is comprised of numerous components. One of the key components of this reflector antenna is the reflector surface. Several types of reflector surfaces have been developed and used, namely, metal mesh-based reflector surfaces, membrane-based reflector surfaces, etc. The benefits presented by warp-knitted metal mesh-based reflector surfaces are their foldability and light weight structural characteristics. Typical metal mesh-based reflector surfaces are produced using a warp knitting textile manufacturing process. A warp-knitted metal mesh reflecting surface is an elastic, open structured knit with a low bending stiffness produced on a high gauge knitting machine (E26 or higher gauge) consisting of a compatible metal yarn (typically tungsten or molybdenum). This paper gives an overview about the requirements for mesh reflector surfaces stated in the literature. Afterwards, an overview of different patterns currently investigated by the LDA community is given. The names given to the various types of patterns in the literature often differ. The construction of the various patterns is therefore first optical analysed and compared. Subsequently, the different patterns are evaluated on the basis of the requirements. Based on the requirements and the possibilities of the warp knitting machine, new possible patterns are identified and evaluated. For the development of a new reflector surface, the identified patterns are developed as a warp-knitted spacer fabric. This decision increases the stiffness of the knitted fabric. This new concept for an advanced reflector surfaces is introduced by Large Space Structures GmbH (LSS) (concept) and ITA (production technology).