Fabric that reduces temperatures by up to 9 degrees Celsius

Air conditioning and light clothing may no longer be enough to combat the problem. Global warming and heat waves Increasingly frequent. It has already happened this year. Heat waves in different parts of the worldWith temperatures register In the city in Mexico, India, Pakistan and Oman with over 50 degreesIt is expected that by 2050, the population will be about 68% of humanity. – They will increasingly move from rural areas to cities, which will become veritable heat islands, where concrete, sidewalks and skyscrapers will cause temperatures to rise even more due to the thermal radiation emitted by the materials used in the city. And while we try to reduce polluting emissions, the same ones that caused and continue to cause climate change, alternative methods of controlling the prevailing heat are being studied. At the University of Chicago, to be precise. Pritzker School of Molecular EngineeringA research group has developed a New materialswhich can be used either as Clothing fabrics, automobiles, food preservation, and people in building design.

The testing of this innovative material, which was conducted under the scorching sun in the US state of Arizona, was successful. Significant results both in terms of direct solar heating and in terms of thermal radiation emitted from pavement and buildings. “minimize” 2.3°C The perception is also compared to the type of fabric used in outdoor sports and even resistance sports. 8.9 degrees compared to noble silkcommonly used for shirts, dresses and other summer clothing. “We must reduce carbon emissions and create our cities Carbon negative or carbon emissions“I declare Bo Chun Hsu“But in the meantime, people are feeling the effects of these high temperatures,” the study author said, with serious consequences that may require hospitalization, even death.

How does this new fabric work? For example, those used in outdoor sports that operate Reflects sunlightBut if the city is blazing with sunlight falling from above and heat rising from the sidewalks and horizontally from buildings, that won’t have much of a “refreshing” effect. In fact, wearing materials designed to reflect direct sunlight, according to Chicago scientists, Only 3% of their clothing is exposed to direct light.While the 97% of clothing It is heated by Thermal radiationWhich this type of fabric cannot face.

“Sunlight is visible, and thermal radiation is infrared, So they have different wavelengths. This means you need to have A substance with two propertiesto optics at once“It’s very difficult to make,” said co-author Chenxi Sui, speaking of the difficulties in creating a material that can fully protect its wearer. “You need to play with materials science to design and tune the material so you get different Resonance at different wavelengthsThe new fabric, designed by the Chicago research group and granted a provisional patent, could contribute to a system passive cooling able to Reducing the need for high energy consumption systems And expensive in terms of costs. The reference here is to the extensive use of air conditioning, which in countries such as the United States and Japan is used by 90% of households, with significant expenditure on energy, while in India and some parts of Africa the percentage is minimal. 5%.

According to the researchers, unlike clothing, a thicker version is created that is protected by one invisible polyethylene layerIt could be used in buildings or cars, lowering indoor temperatures and thus reducing the costs and environmental impact of air conditioning. “You can save a lot of money on cooling, electricity and energy because it’s a passive process,” one researcher noted. Similarly, the material could be used to Milk transportation and storage And other foods that would spoil in the heat, Reduce the cooling effect.