Human‐Skin‐Inspired Adaptive Smart Textiles Capable of Amplified Latent Heat Transfer for Thermal Comfort

• Published in: Advanced intelligent systems Vol. 2; no. 12
• Main Authors: Kim, Gunwoo, Gardner, Calvin, Park, Kyuin, Zhong, Ying, Jin, Sungho
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Weinheim John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.12.2020; Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)
• Subjects: Actuation; Actuators; Air conditioning; bilayer actuators; Biomedical materials; Cellulose acetate; Composite materials; Cooling; Cost control; Electric rates; Energy consumption; evaporative cooling; Exocrine glands; Heat transfer; Human body; Humidity; HVAC; hygroscopic polymers; Latent heat; Moisture effects; Physiology; Polyethylene glycol; Polyethylene terephthalate; Polymers; Skin; Smart materials; smart textiles; Sweat; Textiles; Thermal comfort; United States > US
• ISSN: 2640-4567; 2640-4567
• DOI: 10.1002/aisy.202000163

Thermally adaptive textiles (TATs) enable human subjects to attain thermal comfort without energy consumption, which can lead to enormous energy savings on heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) in buildings. Herein, TAT structures which respond to the sweat and generate pores by opening an array of flap‐shaped pores patterned on the fabric surface are proposed. A moisture‐driven self‐actuator for flap opening by constructing a bilayer consisting of a hygroscopic layer using polyethylene glycol and cellulose acetate, and a hydrophobic polymer using a polyester type polymer, is used and successfully demonstrated an essentially instant 4 °C apparent temperature cooling performance within one minute of sweat–humidity‐initiated actuation while wearing TAT using a sweating skin simulated device. A thermally adaptive textile responds to sweat and generates pores providing an immediate 4 °C of apparent cooling within a minute.