Taxas, USA (CU)_ A group of researchers from a variety of institutions in the United States and China have produced a modified textile that is cooler for the skin than cotton-based fabrics. The group discusses its strategy for making fabrics that keeps the skin cooler when worn outside in a study published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology. According to the researchers, silk reflects light well in the mid-infrared spectrum, implying that it may be used as a cooling garment material. However, as it is manufactured by spiders, it has a protein component that absorbs UV radiation, increasing the temperature of the material and its user under direct sunshine.
Humans have been wearing garments for thousands of years, developing them over time to meet the demands of their habitats, which are predominantly cold weather. In this initiative, the researchers investigated whether it is feasible to develop a material that keeps skin cooler than other fabrics or protects skin in direct sunlight. To begin, they picked silk fabric, which has been in use for eras due to its beauty and comfort.
The researchers treated a normal piece of silk fabric with a liquid solution containing highly refractive inorganic oxide nanoparticles to make it UV reflective. These evenly clung to the silk cloth, allowing it to absorb the liquid uniformly throughout. They dried the cloth before testing it to determine whether the inclusion of the nanoparticles increased the material’s UV reflecting properties. They discovered that the temperature beneath the material was roughly 3.5 degrees Celsius colder than the ambient air temperature during peak sunshine conditions.
They then kept the material over a patch of simulated skin and discovered that it cooled the skin by around 8 degrees Celsius compared to the same sort of simulated skin that was not covered by the material. Additionally, they discovered that it cooled the artificial skin by around 12.5 degrees Celsius when compared to ordinary cotton material. Additional tests revealed that the material reflected around 95% of sunlight, preventing it from penetrating the skin below.
