Research and Product Development

• Intelligent Textiles
• Technical Textiles
• Geosynthetics

Market-driven research and development projects offer perhaps the most visible outcomes of CTT Group’s mission. Our mission drives our partnerships with business, public administration and academia and underpins our on-going success, growth and stakeholder buy-in. Our model ensures market relevance by involving business leaders profoundly throughout the research and development product cycle and by giving these experts guiding roles in our projects. The model is already providing tangible outcomes in terms of products arriving on the market.

CTT Group is making tangible progress towards the projects currently underway, and new products are already in the process of being patented and launched on the market. We are particularly focussed on the following areas:

• Protection and Comfort (esp. for protective clothing and shoes)
• Transport, including automotive and aeronautics
• Civil and Environment Engineering, including geosynthetics, new plastic materials used in construction, and industrial applications (e.g. filtration)

Our work includes:

• the development of new products
• the optimisation of existing products
• the implementation of new technologies
• the evaluation of characteristics and performance in the laboratory

We are especially interested in the following themes

• Phase-change materials and possible applications for the exothermic and endothermic properties
• Green technology, including grafting and finishing by low-pressure plasma and atmospheric plasma
• Integrating fibre-optics, conductive-fibres and piezo-electronic elements into textiles
• Integrating and developing bio-sensors
• Developing new knitted, woven and non-woven 3D materials.

Our prototyping machinery, specialist equipment and international team of technical experts is available, ensuring real added value and support throughout the R&D process, including the prototyping of machinery.

We have recently acquired the following state of the art machinery (with the assistance of the Fund for Canadian Innovation ,the Québec Ministère de l’éducation, des loisirs et des sports (MELS) and the Quebec Ministère du Développement économique, innovation et de l’exportation (MDEIE)):

• Infrared thermal camera (Jenoptik)
• Fully fashioned flat knitting machine (Universal)
• Embroidery electronic laying machine (Tajima)
• Warp knitting machine (Jakob Mueller)
• Water Transmissivity (Geopro)
• Sweating Guarded Hotplate (Measurement Technology)
• Spectrophotometer Benchtop (Datacolor)
• QUV Weathering Tester (Q-LAB Corporation)
• Pendulum Impact Tester (Zwick/Roell)
• Thermal Protective Performance 2 (TPP 2) (Govmark)
• Zetasize Nano ZS (Spectra Research Corp.)
• Humidity Cabinet for Salt Fog (R.B. Atlas)
• Differential Scanning Calorimeters (DSC) (T.A. Instrument)
• Puncture & Propagation Tear PPT Tester (TMI)
• Atmospheric Plasma (Dow Corning)
• Thermogravimetric Analysis Equipment (TGA) (T.A. Instrument)
• Smoke Density Chamber (Fire Testing Technology Ltd. (FTT))
• Critical Radiant Flux (Fire Testing Technology Ltd. (FTT))
• Cone Calorimeter (Fire Testing Technology Ltd. (FTT))
• Radiant Panel Flame Spread Apparatus (Fire Testing Technology Ltd. (FTT))
• Horizontal / Vertical Flame Chamber (R.B. Atlas)
• Ohio State University Apparatus (Fire Testing Technology Ltd. (FTT))

Our research is backed by an extremely developed level of certification.

Institutionally, capacity continues to expand thanks to new cooperation with other technology transfer collegial centers (CCTT), the development of the Consortium on Material and Technical Textiles for Protection (MT2P) and collaboration with an international constellation of research facilities.

We also welcome collaboration with world-class researchers as part of our Bourse en milieu pratique (BMP) internship programme. FInd  more information about this programme.

Our research and development projects are part of our vision for our innovation network. They are protected by commercial confidentiality clauses and can attract financial support from public agencies.

Please contact us if you wish to learn more about our research and product development activities or if you would like to get involved.

Alternatively, please visit your market sector to view our specialized support for your sector.