lswcapAs clothes that self-heat to control temperature, products such as Uniqlo Heattech, which use moisture-absorbing heating fibers, are well known. However, it is said that a fiber material that is warm when it is cold and that when it is hot has been developed by adopting a material and structure that is completely different from the moisture absorption heating fiber that has appeared so far.
There have been fabrics made with fibers that warm when it is cold or cool in hot weather, but no fabric combines with everyone. In addition, these fabrics are heavy, bulky, and fragile, and there is also a problem that external energy supply is required.
The High-Performance Fiber Research Institute of Huazhong University has developed a porous fiber with a fine structure of chitosan and silk obtained from crustacean exoskeletons such as shrimp. Polyethylene glycol PEG, which is known to absorb or release thermal energy, was injected into the fine pores of the fiber, and then coated with dimethylpolysiloxane, a type of silicone, to prevent PEG from leaking.
As a result of the research team’s testing of this fabric, it is said that it has not only high flexibility and strength, but also excellent insulation and water repellency. It is also said that if you make a glove made of cloth and put your hand in a box with a temperature of 50 degrees, PEG melts, absorbs heat, and cools your hand. Likewise, if a hand wearing a glove is put in a 10 degree environment, this time, PEG solidifies to release heat and warm the hand.
Through the paper, the research team revealed that the material could be produced in mass production because it can be produced in existing textile industry facilities. Related information can be found here .
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