Silk in contemporary society, beyond its ornamental use

Silk has been used for thousands of years by man as clothing and fabric for aesthetic and functional end-uses. Over the past 50 years, there has been a growing awareness of the wider applicability and beneficial properties of silk in addition to these traditional uses. In this presentation, we explore these newer innovations and potential future growth areas in healthcare, biomaterials, cosmetics and structural materials.

Chris Carr is a Professor in Textile Technology at the University of Leeds, with a key focus on Healthcare Textiles, and he was Head of the School of Design until September 2020. He has published widely through research publications and conference presentations and is a member of several Editorial Boards for international research journals. In 2015 he was awarded the Society of Dyers and Colourists Gold Medal for his outstanding contribution to Textile & Colour Education and is currently a Trustee on the Society of Dyers and Colourists.

Professor Carr’s lecture will be followed by a brief demo of the digital tools developed by the SILKNOW research project, in connection with the subject of the lecture. The presenter will be Cristina Portalés, Ramón y Cajal researcher, University of Valencia.