By: Xing-Xiang Zhang and Na Han
Abstract
Thermo-regulated fibres can response to ambient temperature
and maintain the microclimate equilibrium. They can be applied in wide variety
area, such as aerospace, military and medical etc. Many processing technologies
for producing thermo-regulated fibre have been developed since 1971. There are
still some defects and deficiencies in each method, however. With the aim at producing a environment friendly, high efficient and low costly thermo-regulated fibre, the scientists
all over the world are exploring constantly.
Introduction
Thermo-regulated fabrics are a kind of functional textile
containing low temperature phase change materials (PCM) or microencapsulated
phase change materials (MicroPCMs) [1], or a kind of block copolymer product with segments that change phase at low temperature [2].
The thermo-regulated fabric absorbs heat energy when the
ambient temperature is higher than the melting temperature of PCM and slows
down the temperature rise of the fabric. The fabric releases heat energy when
the ambient temperature is lower than the crystallization temperature of PCM
and slows down the temperature descending of the fabric. This cycle process of absorbing, storing and releasing latent heat maintains comfortable temperature
equilibrium within the microclimate between the fabric and the skin.
Thermo-regulated fibres (TRF) have attracted more and more
attention recently [1, 2]. Several manufacture processes, such as impregnating hollow or non-hollow fibres with PCM solution, wet-spinning, melt-spinning and
electro-spinning, etc. were used to fabricate the thermo-regulated fibres. The
benefits and drawbacks of every process were not reported, however. The
structures and properties of these fibres were reviewed in this paper.
Read
Full Article
About the Authors
The authors are associated with Tianjin Municipal Key Lab of
Fibres Modification and Functional Fibres, Institute of Functional Fibres, Tianjin Polytechnic University, China
The paper was presented at the 2008 International
Scientific Conference on Smart Textiles. Courtesy: The University College of Boras, (CTF, The Swedish School of Textiles)
Originally
published in New Cloth Market; May 2009
