News Archive

One of the most exciting public events of the year was the Beyond Fibres exhibition hosted by the Faculty in March.

The travelling exhibition was loaned by Miraikan, the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation in Tokyo.

Beyond Fibres was brought to UWA by Mitsui, a Japanese company that has been investing in and trading with Western Australia since 1965. Mitsui’s General Manager in Perth, Fumiaki (Frank) Iwahashi, said his company wanted to make a contribution to Western Australia through the University.

On display were fibres used in osmosis filters to create a fresh water source for industry use in Japan; realistic artificial silk and suede leather; a fabric which mimics a lotus leaf and repels water; and heat and fire-resistant material used in the Mars Rover landing. Also on display was a 61-layered fibre that recreates the iridescence of the brilliant Morpho butterfly. This technology has been used in paint for cars, nail polish and in commercially available fabrics.

Students who visited the exhibition in a collaboration between the Faculty and SPICE - UWA’s secondary teachers enrichment program - were able to conduct hands-on activities which included attempting to cut the super-strong material Zylon, which is four times stronger than steel and can tolerate heat of 600C. Students were also amazed by demonstrations of a material called WOSEP which is able to absorb oil and is non-toxic when incinerated.

The two-week exhibition attracted hundreds of school children and members of the public. The Faculty is hoping to host similar international exhibitions in the future.