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MIT engineers have found a new use for a common plastic.
They have managed to spin polyethylene into a fabric that can passively cool the wearer by letting heat pass through and evaporate water
.
This discovery can see that discarded plastic bags are turned into sportswear
.
? Due to the structure of polyethylene, the fabric spun from polyethylene can keep the wearer cool by letting heat radiate, but due to its less than ideal characteristic of absorbing moisture in, it is largely scientifically The industry rejects it as a candidate material for fabrics
.
? But the MIT engineering team has found a way to enable the material to attract water molecules to its surface, where it evaporates
.
The researchers started with the raw material polyethylene powder, and then used standard textile manufacturing equipment to produce fine fibers.
They found that this process would lead to mild oxidation, resulting in a weak hydrophilic effect
.
The team squeezed multiple polyethylene fibers together to form woven yarns.
The spaces between the strands formed structures similar to capillaries.
Once water molecules were attracted to the fiber surface, they could be passively absorbed through these structures
.
After performing some modeling aimed at maximizing absorption and evaporation capacity, engineers optimized the arrangement and size of the fibers, and then used industrial looms to weave the yarn into a fabric
.
In the confrontation with cotton, nylon and polyester fabrics, it was found that polyethylene fabrics showed faster moisture absorption, but repeated wetting did weaken its performance
.
Fortunately, engineers found a simple solution, that is, to refresh the material by rubbing the material itself, so that it can maintain its moisture absorption capacity, and it can continuously and passively draw away water
.
"Because polyethylene does not interact with other molecules, traditional inks and dyes cannot be used to add color
.
On the contrary, colored particles are added to the original powder before the yarn is extruded
.
The team said that in this way The coloring of the fabric helps the material maintain a relatively small ecological footprint.
Engineers use life cycle assessment tools commonly used in the textile industry to determine that this material and fabric production method require less energy than polyester and cotton
.
? Polyethylene has a low melting temperature, so you don’t have to heat it like other synthetic polymer materials to make yarn.
Compared with more traditional textile materials such as synthetic polyester or nylon, synthetic raw material polyethylene emits greenhouse gases and There is also less waste heat
.
The growth of cotton also requires a lot of land, fertilizer and water, and it needs to be treated with harsh chemicals, which will bring a huge ecological footprint
.
The smaller environmental footprint also continues into actual use, and a 10-minute cold cycle can keep the clothes clean and fresh
.
Observing Jun hopes that this discovery will enable plastic bags, food packaging, coffee cups, etc.
to be recycled into clothes and footwear, instead of adding huge waste
.
In fact, the team is currently studying the application of sportswear, military and space technology
.
They have managed to spin polyethylene into a fabric that can passively cool the wearer by letting heat pass through and evaporate water
.
This discovery can see that discarded plastic bags are turned into sportswear
.
? Due to the structure of polyethylene, the fabric spun from polyethylene can keep the wearer cool by letting heat radiate, but due to its less than ideal characteristic of absorbing moisture in, it is largely scientifically The industry rejects it as a candidate material for fabrics
.
? But the MIT engineering team has found a way to enable the material to attract water molecules to its surface, where it evaporates
.
The researchers started with the raw material polyethylene powder, and then used standard textile manufacturing equipment to produce fine fibers.
They found that this process would lead to mild oxidation, resulting in a weak hydrophilic effect
.
The team squeezed multiple polyethylene fibers together to form woven yarns.
The spaces between the strands formed structures similar to capillaries.
Once water molecules were attracted to the fiber surface, they could be passively absorbed through these structures
.
After performing some modeling aimed at maximizing absorption and evaporation capacity, engineers optimized the arrangement and size of the fibers, and then used industrial looms to weave the yarn into a fabric
.
In the confrontation with cotton, nylon and polyester fabrics, it was found that polyethylene fabrics showed faster moisture absorption, but repeated wetting did weaken its performance
.
Fortunately, engineers found a simple solution, that is, to refresh the material by rubbing the material itself, so that it can maintain its moisture absorption capacity, and it can continuously and passively draw away water
.
"Because polyethylene does not interact with other molecules, traditional inks and dyes cannot be used to add color
.
On the contrary, colored particles are added to the original powder before the yarn is extruded
.
The team said that in this way The coloring of the fabric helps the material maintain a relatively small ecological footprint.
Engineers use life cycle assessment tools commonly used in the textile industry to determine that this material and fabric production method require less energy than polyester and cotton
.
? Polyethylene has a low melting temperature, so you don’t have to heat it like other synthetic polymer materials to make yarn.
Compared with more traditional textile materials such as synthetic polyester or nylon, synthetic raw material polyethylene emits greenhouse gases and There is also less waste heat
.
The growth of cotton also requires a lot of land, fertilizer and water, and it needs to be treated with harsh chemicals, which will bring a huge ecological footprint
.
The smaller environmental footprint also continues into actual use, and a 10-minute cold cycle can keep the clothes clean and fresh
.
Observing Jun hopes that this discovery will enable plastic bags, food packaging, coffee cups, etc.
to be recycled into clothes and footwear, instead of adding huge waste
.
In fact, the team is currently studying the application of sportswear, military and space technology
.