A Novel Approach to Design Nanoporous Polyethylene/Polyester Composite Fabric via TIPS for Human Body Cooling

Abstract

In this study, in order to obtain a wearable infrared‐transparent material based on nanoporous polyethylene, a newly ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE)/polyester composite fabric with nanoporous structure is developed via thermally induced phase separation (TIPS) method. A polyester mesh with loose warp/weft weaves is chosen as the intermediate to enhance the fabric mechanical strength and air permeability. Meanwhile, methoxy‐poly(ethylene glycol)‐aminoethyl/polydopamine particles (mPPDAPs) are used to improve the hydrophilicity of UHMWPE. The fabric is composited with mPPDAPs/UHMWPE/liquid paraffin mixture at high temperature. Then the nanoporous structure is formed via TIPS in UHMWPE phase in the composite fabric. This newly UHMWPE/polyester composite fabric possesses a unique connective nanoporous structure with the pore sizes distributed from 50 to 100 nm and it also has many disconnected honeycomb pores that are ≈1000 nm in diameter. These characteristics endow the composite fabric with excellent properties of wearability and optical properties, including sufficient moisture wicking rate, air permeability, and mechanical strength, high infrared‐transparent and ultraviolet/visible‐opaque properties. It is an effective, economical, and practical novel composite textile for human body cooling.

Advanced Textiles for Personal Thermal Management and Energy

“…31 Based on the intrinsic mid-IR transparency of polyethylene, researchers are also developing composite textiles combing polyethylene and other conventional textile materials to achieve better wearability, such as hydrophilicity and mechanical strength. 32 In addition to utilizing the intrinsic mid-IR transparent materials such as polyethylene, photonic structure design approach can help realize desired IR transparency based on blending of IR-opaque fibers and largely IR-transparent fibers. 33,34 For instance, Catrysse et al theoretically designed a photonic structure textile for localized thermal cooling using cotton and nylon fibers.…”

Fabrication of Self-Lubricating Porous UHMWPE with Excellent Mechanical Properties and Friction Performance via Rotary Sintering

“…Xiong et al [ 22 ] improved the wear resistance of UHMWPE by filling carbon fibers in UHMWPE materials. Wu et al [ 23 ] used NaCl as a pore-forming agent to prepare UHMWPE porous self-lubricating materials, and the wear of the material was reduced by 43%. Wang et al [ 24 ] prepared a composite coating combined with a porous TiO 2 layer, UHMWPE, and DMMPPS, achieving super-lubrication on the surface of the Ti6Al4V alloy.…”

Air and Water Vapor Permeable UHMWPE Composite Membranes for X-Ray Shielding

“…The method to prepare UHMWPE/polyester mesh composite membranes had been reported by our group. 24 Based on these works, a certain mass of UHMWPE and CeO 2 /LDPE (Table 1) was added in paraffin oil and was premixed using a magnetic stirrer for overnight. After that, 0.7 wt % antioxidant 1076 was added based on the UHMWPE mass.…”