Issue 15/2021 - Successful development of passive coolable optical metamaterial fabrics

Recently, Professor Tao Guangming's research group of Wuhan National Research Center for Optoelectronics, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Professor Ma Yaoguang's team of Zhejiang University, China Textile Research Institute Co.
, Ltd.
and other interdisciplinary joint innovation, developed an optical metamaterial fabric that can be passively cooled, with good cooling effect, high wearable performance and promising
application prospects.
The results have been published in
Science.

After strict testing, under passive input conditions, metamaterial fabrics can achieve a cooling effect of 2°C~10°C below the ambient temperature throughout the day (Guangzhou, December 5-6, 2020).

Compared with cotton, spandex, chiffon and hemp, a series of commercial fabrics of the same color, the simulated skin temperature covered by metamaterial fabrics can be reduced by 5°C~7°C (Guangzhou, November 28, 2020).

Compared to commercially available car covers, the interior temperature of simulated vehicles covered with metamaterial fabrics can be reduced by 27°C (Guangzhou, December 7, 2020).

Compared to white cotton fabrics, metamaterial fabrics cool the human body surface by more than 4°C (Guangzhou, December 7, 2020).

Tao Guangming said that the research team combined optical metamaterial technology with batch fiber preparation technology, selected polylactic acid as fiber raw material, introduced new optical characteristics of specific bands, and obtained uniform and continuous metamaterial fibers
.
On this basis, mature spinning weaving and lamination technology is further used to prepare optical metamaterial fabrics
that can be passively cooled.

In addition, metamaterial fabrics also have the advantages of low cost, green environmental protection and industrialization, which is of great significance to achieve efficient outdoor personal heat management, promote the development and application of industrialization technology of smart textiles, and conform to the global trend
of green and low-carbon development.