Theoretically, "Ice Silk" Material Clothing Is Not As Cool As You Think

The hot sun, cool and comfortable become the main consideration factors of people's clothing.

In recent years, many businesses will promote "ice silk" clothing in summer, claiming that it can make the wearer feel cooler. But recently many netizens said that "ice silk" is not too "ice", and can only "cool down" at most.

So, what is the "ice silk" material? Can it give people a cool feeling? Which clothes are cooler in summer? The reporter of Science and Technology Daily interviewed relevant experts.

The duration of "ice feeling" is limited

Relevant experts said that at present, there is no national standard or industry standard to define "ice silk", which is more a concept created by businesses for marketing.

The reporter searched an e-commerce platform and opened several "ice silk" clothes with large sales. The details page shows that the so-called "ice silk" fabric is usually made of viscose fiber (rayon or rayon), polyester fiber (polyester), nylon (nylon) and other synthetic fibers.

So, where does the "ice feeling" of "ice silk" fabric come from? Song Lidan, consultant engineer of the Industry Research Department of China Textile Construction Planning Institute, believes that the "ice feeling" is mainly related to the following factors.

First, select fiber materials with strong thermal conductivity. Fiber fabrics with high thermal conductivity can quickly transmit heat when contacting the human body, making the human body feel cool. Among the common textile fibers, nylon has the highest thermal conductivity, while polyester has a relatively high thermal conductivity.

The second is to add minerals. Jade or mica and other minerals have good heat conduction and slow heat absorption. Grinding them into powder and adding them into fiber can significantly improve the "ice power" of the fabric.

The third is to improve the flatness and smoothness of the fabric. Human skin will feel cooler when it contacts the smooth and flat surface fabric, because its contact area is larger and its heat dissipation speed is faster.

In addition, the heat conduction efficiency of the fabric can also be improved by special treatment of the fabric with a cool feeling finishing agent.

Although "ice silk" can bring people cool, its duration is limited. Song Lidan introduced that the human body will feel cool in the first few seconds to a few minutes when the textile fabric below the skin temperature comes into contact with the skin. However, as time goes by, the clothing temperature and the human body temperature gradually approach, and the two reach thermal balance, this feeling will disappear.

More attention should be paid to the continuous cooling function

Song Lidan believes that the "ice silk" fabric can only bring a temporary cool feeling. In the face of the long summer, consumers should pay more attention to the comfort of long-term wear when shopping for summer clothes.

So, how should we choose summer clothes?

Experts pointed out that when choosing clothes in summer, attention should be paid to whether the fabric has the function of continuous heat dissipation.

Flax fiber has good hygroscopicity and natural bacteriostasis and deodorization function. The cross section of the fiber is irregular polygon, and the cellulose cells are arranged in parallel and stuck together by pectin, etc. The middle cavity structure can speed up the moisture absorption and perspiration of the fiber. Sweat evaporates on the fiber surface to absorb the surrounding heat and make the human body feel cool and comfortable.

The moisture absorption and sweating function of chemical fiber is mainly realized through the profiled section of the fiber. Cross section, triangle section, and other sections with different shapes can increase the capillary effect of fibers and accelerate sweat export. At the same time, the profiled section increases the surface area of the fiber, accelerates the sweat evaporation rate, and makes people feel dry and cool. Polyester fiber and nylon are common chemical fiber materials.

In addition, Song Lidan suggested that everyone should choose suitable summer clothes according to the scene.

For example, when you work indoors with air conditioning, you can choose cotton clothes. When you go out for a few activities, you can wear clothes made of cotton and linen or viscose fiber. When doing a lot of sports, it is best to wear clothes made of hygroscopic and fast drying knitted fabrics. If you need to exercise in the sun for a long time, try to wear clothes with sunscreen function to protect your skin from sunburn.