Scientists Have Developed Phase Change Fabrics That Can Cool Down.

According to foreign media reports, scientists recently developed a new kind of textile, which can warm the wearer in cold weather and cool them when the weather gets hot. The experimental material was developed by a team led by Professor Tao Guangming of Huazhong University of Science and Technology. The method of making it is: first, the silk and chitosan are frozen to form fibers with porous microstructure. By the way, chitosan is a highly practical natural compound found in crustacean shells.

　　 Next, polyethylene glycol (PEG) is filled in the pores of the fibers. This is a phase change material, which is solid when it is hot and liquid when it is cold. Finally, an organic polymer called poly two methyl siloxane is coated on the fiber to prevent PEG from leaking in liquid.

It is said that the lines obtained are of strength, elasticity and water repellency. The test is to interweave them together and form a lump of material and then sew them on a traditional polyester glove worn by volunteers.

When the person puts a gloved hand in a space heated to 122 F (50 C), PEG will melt into liquid - absorbing the ambient heat and absorbing the surrounding heat - so that the skin beneath the patch will cool down. But once volunteers move their hands to the space of 50 F (10 C), PEG solidifies and releases stored heat to warm the skin.

　　 Scientists say this manufacturing process can be produced on a large scale, and it should be easier to integrate this material into the existing textile industry.

The research papers were recently published in the Journal of Applied Materials and interfaces of the American Chemical Society.