A souped-up plastic fiber woven into fabric could create clothing that keeps you cool on hot days.
Researchers from Stanford Univ. have combined two ordinary materials — cotton and polyethylene, with just a few modifications — to create a textile that is both opaque to visible light and transparent to infrared. The combination could be used to produce clothing that self cools, which would translate to energy savings if buildings could be kept at warmer temperatures in the summer.
When at rest, the human body radiates infrared energy, accounting for 40–60% of the body’s cooling capabilities, says Yi Cui, a materials scientist at Stanford. However, textiles like cotton absorb infrared, keeping heat close to the body. While artificial cooling systems in office buildings and homes are designed to keep people cool, clothes work in opposition.
“It’s necessary to find a new textile material that is transparent to infrared radiation,” but opaque to visible light, Cui says. “Only a few materials have this capability.”
One is polyethylene — the plastic used in plastic bags. However, conventional polyethylene is transparent and impermeable to air, which is not conducive for use in clothing.
But nanoporous...
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