Researchers have formed a innovative fiber that could alter the textile industry. The research, led by associate professor Gao Weiwei and professor Bai Hao, turned to nature to draw motivation from to overcome the boundaries of aerogel, and what better animal to draw motivation from to overcome the restrictions of the world’s lightest solid material recognized for its thermal insulation than the polar bear?
Usually aerogel, even though used widely in the aerospace industry, has found little practice in other areas, partially due to its brittleness and problematic processing. In addition to the lack of strength and flexibility required to weave or knit them into usable textiles, current aerogel fibers are not machine washable and rapidly lose their thermal insulation ability in wet or humid surroundings.
Many creatures have, however, evolved to have specific furs that keep them dry and warm from existing in extremely cold settings for years. The study team designed an compressed aerogel fiber (EAF) with a core-shell construction, similar to polar bear hair, which significantly improves its performance and strength.
Polar bears have hair with a exceptional core-shell construction that helped as the blueprint for the scientists’ innovation. The absorbent core encircled within a compressed shell offers excellent thermal insulation while preserving strength and flexibility, features essential to keep the fur warm and dry in extremely cold surroundings. Imitating this structure, the team established a strong polymeric aerogel fiber with lamellar pores and enclosed it within a thin, stretchable rubber coating.
This permits the EAF to be bent and twisted, overcoming the fragility connected with traditional silica aerogel. Despite its high interior porosity of over 90%, the fiber is stretchable up to 1,000% tension, significantly outclassing traditional aerogel fibers, which stand about 2% tension said Professor Bai, speaking to the Morning Post.
The real-world applications of the EAF are wide-ranging. The scientists confirmed the possibility of using EAF by weaving a jumper with thermal padding similar to a traditional down jacket but only one-fifth as thick.
In an research conducted in a -20 degree Celsius setting, the EAF material showcased its superior insulation abilities, outperforming down, wool, and cotton in preserving surface temperatures.
Furthermore, the EAF fiber is washable and dyeable, making it appropriate for everyday use in textiles. This offers a substantial advancement over traditional silica aerogel, which loses its thermal insulation properties in humid or wet surroundings. The scientists highlighted that EAF holds its properties even after 10,000 stretching cycles, demonstrating its potential for multifunctional use beyond thermal insulation textiles.
Although there is immense potential for practice in civilian applications, Professor Zhang Xuetong of the Suzhou Institute and Nano-bionics emphasized challenges in mass production.
Challenges concerning how to develop fast revolving technology and resolve the constant fabrication that is required for mass production, in areas such as military uniforms and space suits in extremely cold environments he said.
The discoveries of the team were published in the journal Science.
