New textile could keep you cool in the heat, warm in the cold

Phys.org  April 1, 2020
Researchers in China freeze-spun silk and chitosan, a material from the hard outer skeleton of shellfish, into colored fibers with porous microstructures. They filled the pores with polyethylene glycol (PEG), a phase-changing polymer that absorbs and releases thermal energy. The threads were coated with polydimethylsiloxane to keep the liquid PEG from leaking out. The resulting fibers were strong, flexible, and water-repellent. To test the fibers, the researchers wove them into a patch of fabric and put inside a polyester glove. When a person wearing the glove placed their hand in a hot chamber (122°F), the solid PEG absorbed heat from the environment, melting into a liquid and cooling the skin under the patch. Then, when the gloved hand moved to a cold (50°F) chamber, the PEG solidified, releasing heat, and warming the skin. According to the researchers the process for making the fabric is compatible with the existing textile industry and could be scaled up for mass production…read more.

 

A microstructured fiber (left) contains pores (right) that can be filled with a phase-changing material that absorbs and releases thermal energy. Credit: ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2020, XXXX, XXX, XXX-XXX, March 27, 2020

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