TAIPEI, Taiwan, Sept. 28 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- The emergence of functional textiles as mainstream materials is sparking a revolution in the fashion industry. The joint project between Taiwan's ITRI (Industrial Technology Research Institute) and Taiwan Paiho is in line with the programs of the 921 Earthquake Post-Disaster Recovery Commission, aiming to revamp the areas devastated by the earthquake. The charcoal is made by carbonizing 4-year old Moso bamboo in traditional soil kilns under very high temperature. It is then ground to nano-scale particles and processed into filament yarns using biochemistry technology.

The bamboo-charcoal filament yarns have been tested by ITRI and Taiwan Textile Research Institute (TTRI) and shown to have the characteristics of releasing far infrared rays and storing heat. The material, which has uniform composition and high porosity, contains abundant minerals, is antimicrobial, deodorizes, and even improves blood circulation. Since Taiwan bamboos are blown by strong wind of typhoons, they have relatively better firmness and more vascular fiber tissue and thus have increased absorption. The company has successfully developed products using bamboo-charcoal filament yarns including woven ribbons (knitting and weaving), fabric for clothing, sportswear, socks, scarves, curtains, partitions, bed linens, shoe soles, and other household goods. In addition, Nike has expressed interest in including the bamboo-charcoal fiber on its 2005 list of designated raw materials.