Scalable fabrication of PVDF/SiO2-PTFE fiber membrane for effective daytime radiative cooling

• Published in: Materials letters Vol. 320; p. 132372
• Main Authors: Yang, Chunli, Sun, Xiaoran, Hu, Huifang, Zhang, Kaiqi, Ni, Yanpeng, Shang, Shenglong, Liu, Yun
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.08.2022; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Composite materials; Ecological effects; Energy consumption; Fiber technology; Hierarchical-morphology; Materials science; Membranes; Morphology; Multilayers; Polytetrafluoroethylene; Polyvinylidene fluorides; Radiative cooling; Silicon dioxide; Smart materials; Textiles; Thermal management; Thermal properties; Thermal properties; Fiber technology; Composite materials; Radiative cooling; Hierarchical-morphology
• ISSN: 0167-577X; 1873-4979
• DOI: 10.1016/j.matlet.2022.132372

A hierarchical-morphology PFM was designed for radiative cooling of the human body. [Display omitted] •A hierarchical-morphology membrane with radiative cooling property was fabricated.•The membrane cools up to 9.2 °C lower than that of the bare simulated human skin.•The fiber membrane paves a sustainable way to passive radiative cooling textiles. Passive radiative cooling technology could effectively reduce global energy consumption and maintain the global ecological balance. It plays an important role in human thermal management. Here, we proposed a facile, low-cost, and scalable approach for fabricating a hierarchical-morphology fiber membrane with excellent radiative cooling performance. The multilayer fiber membrane was comprised of Polyvinylidene fluoride/Silica (PVDF/SiO2) fiber membrane and Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) clothing film. We demonstrated that the 30% PVDF/SiO2-PTFE fiber membrane (PFM) can achieve radiative cooling up to 9.2 °C lower than that of the bare simulated human skin under a clear sky. The hierarchical-morphology fiber membrane is effective for energy-saving personal thermal management by combining sky radiative cooling and paves a sustainable way for passive radiative cooling textiles, smart clothing and intelligent fabrics.