Temperature-Adaptable Fabrics

Abstract

Treatment of polyester, nylon 66, cotton, and wool fabrics with aqueous solutions of polyethylene glycol phase change materials and of plastic crystal compounds by a conventional pad-dry procedure produced modified fabrics with thermal storage and release properties 2-2.5 times greater than those of untreated fabrics at the same temperature intervals. These modified or temperature-adaptable fabrics are chemically impregnated with phase change or plastic crystal substances that impart balanced thermal storage and release properties at various temperature ranges. Application of another plastic crystal compound in aqueous solution to the fabrics under these conditions was not suitable, since it sublimed during the fabric drying process. Fiber type and heating rate appeared to have little effect on the overall heat content or thermal performance of the treated fabrics. As in earlier studies, thermal storage and release properties of the modified fabrics were reproducible after 5 cycles and remained essentially constant for at least 50 heating and cooling cycles. An extensive survey of latent heat materials for heat

Electrospinning of thermo-regulating ultrafine fibers based on polyethylene glycol/cellulose acetate composite

“…In the 1980s, Vigo and Frost [1,2] prepared several types of thermo-regulating fibers with various temperature ranges by immersing the hollow fibers into a PCM solution, such as an aqueous solution of hydrated inorganic salt and PEG solution (low molecular weight). Although the temperature-adaptable fabrics could impart desirable thermal storage and release properties, they exhibited unreliable and poor thermal behaviors on repeated thermal cycles.…”

Phase transitions in adamantane derivatives: 2-chloroadamantane

“…Solid-solid phase transitions occur from an ordered to a disordered structure in which the molecules rotate about one or more of their axes in the crystal lattice. Furthermore, since the phase transitions are often strongly exothermic, these materials are currently receiving considerable attention as passive thermal storage systems (5)(6)(7)(8).…”

Soft capacitor fibers using conductive polymers for electronic textiles

“…Electric energy generation from human motion, for example, has been recently demonstrated using piezoelectric fibers made of ceramic materials like PZT (lead zirconate-titanate) as well as polymers such as PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride) [6], [7]. Smart textiles can also be found their usage in heat-storage and thermo-regulated clothing [8], [9] and various wearable sensors including those for biomedical monitoring [10]. For example, conventional fabrics coated with a thin conducting polymer layer possess remarkable properties of strain and temperature sensing [11].…”