Engineers from Stanford University have come up with a fabric that well the be the answer to the rising temperatures of the world.
The fabric is designed using nanotechnology which allows moisture to leave the body better, while also allowing Infrared radiation to escape better. As a result, the body should feel around 2.7 degrees Celsius cooler than cotton and 2.1 degrees Celsius chillier than commercially available synthetics.
According to Yi Cui, a professor of materials and engineering, this material could not just be the answer to rising global temperatures, but also save a lot of energy. As means of personal thermal management, the fabric could cut the energy consumption incurred in cooling offices and homes.
Existing fabrics already do good job of dispensing moisture out of the body, but they trap the infrared radiation emitted by the human body, which makes it warm.
Plastic wrap or polyethylene can dispense heat from the body too, but it is a transparent substance, which is not exactly what people want for clothing.
The Stanford researchers tackled these deficiencies one at a time. First, they found a type of polyethylene commonly used in batteries that is opaque, but can allow infrared radiation to escape. They then treated the plastic with benign chemicals to enable water vapor molecules to evaporate through nanopores. This allows the plastic to breathe just like natural fabric, said Po-Chun Hsu, team member.
The researchers want to do more tests before they open test the material on humans. They are also working on several other fronts, including adding more colors, textures and cloth-like characteristics to their material.
