Tiny Beads for Always-Fresh Clothes

March 11 -- Fit, comfort, color, design, and style all play important roles in how most people choose their clothes. But how about picking garments based on the way they smell?

For the past few years, some clothing and textile makers have been experimenting with embedding fabrics with unique fragrances and scents.

However, the issue with most early attempts is durability. Not many cologne-containing cloths could stand up to repeated washings and quickly wear out.

Quest International, the Netherlands-based chemical research unit of the ICI Group in London, and the Woolmark Company, a global wool textile organization, thinks they have developed a unique solution.

Called Sensory Perception Technology (SPT), the basic approach is similar to previous attempts made by other companies. It uses so-called micro-encapsulation: microscopic balls designed to hold the designed chemicals and "bond" them within the fibers of fabrics.

Made Mighty by Melanin

But what's different about SPT is that its micro-balls are made of a chemical that is similar to melanin, the compound that gives human skin its color and some of its protective properties.

Since melanin is naturally water- and heat-resistant, it makes an ideal choice for holding the fragrances and other chemicals, says David Hellens, marketing director for Woolmark.

"[The capsules] are waterproof and can stand temperatures of up to 150 degrees Celsius," says Hellens. "That keeps the 'ingredients' fresh in water and hot environments."

And, "What's really smart about this technology, wrapped around the microspheres are certain binders which create a cationic bond — a chemical weld — with the fibers," says Hellens. "The only way they release [their chemicals] is if they're broken during movement."

What's more, adding SPT to almost any fabric isn't all that hard or expensive to do, say Quest and Woolmark.

Once a fabric-maker decides what fragrances or chemical properties it wants the cloth to have, the liquid SPT solution can be added into the final textile production process — just like washing in a fabric's dye.