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Plastic clothing material developed to keep people cool
San Francisco:Researchers at US’ Stanford University have engineered a low-cost, plastic-based textile that, if woven into clothing, could become the basis for garments that keep people cool in hot climates without air conditioning.
In addition to letting perspiration evaporate through the material, something ordinary fabrics already do, the new textile cools human body by providing a revolutionary cooling mechanism: allowing heat that the body emits as infrared radiation to pass through the plastic textile, Xinhua news agency reported on Friday.
Wearers of the textile, known as nanoporous polyethylene (nanoPE), show skin temperature about 4 degrees Fahrenheit, or 2.2 degrees Celsius, lower than when they are covered with cotton.
“If you can cool the person rather than the building where they work or live, that will save energy,” said Yi Cui, an associate professor of materials science and engineering at Stanford and of photon science at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, and one of the authors of a paper in the September 2 issue of the journal Science.
The work is based on understanding that all objects, including our bodies, throw off heat in the form of infrared radiation, an invisible and benign wavelength of light. Blankets warm us by trapping infrared heat emissions close to the body.
“Forty to 60 per cent of our body heat is dissipated as infrared radiation when we are sitting in an office,” explained Shanhui Fan, a professor of electrical engineering who specialises in photonics, which is the study of visible and invisible light.
“But until now there has been little or no research on designing the thermal radiation characteristics of textiles.”
The researchers blended nanotechnology, photonics and chemistry to give polyethylene, namely the clear, clingy plastic we use as kitchen wrap, a number of characteristics desirable in clothing material: it allows thermal radiation, air and water vapor to pass right through, and it is opaque to visible light.
First, they found a variant of polyethylene commonly used in battery making that has a specific nanostructure that is opaque to visible light yet is transparent to infrared radiation. Then, they modified the industrial polyethylene by treating it with benign chemicals to enable water vapor molecules to evaporate through nanopores, allowing the plastic to breathe like a natural fibre.
To make the thin material more fabric-like, they created a three-ply version: two sheets of treated polyethylene separated by a cotton mesh for strength and thickness. And to test the cooling potential of the construct versus a cotton fabric of comparable thickness, they placed a small swatch of each material on a surface that was as warm as bare skin and measured how much heat each material trapped.
The comparison showed that the cotton fabric made the skin surface 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit, or 2 degrees Celsius, warmer than their cooling textile.
Noting that this difference means a person dressed in their new material might feel less inclined to turn on a fan or air conditioner, the researchers are continuing their work on several fronts, including adding more colours, textures and cloth-like characteristics to their material.
Fan believes that the research opens up new avenues of inquiry to cool or heat things, passively, without the use of outside energy, by tuning materials to dissipate or trap infrared radiation.
“In hindsight, some of what we’ve done looks very simple, but it’ s because few have really been looking at engineering the radiation characteristics of textiles,” he added.
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Dr. Abhishek Verma Dedicates a Shelter in Memory of His Mother, Veena Verma, at KGMU; Inaugurated by Daughter Nicolle Verma
World-renowned business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has supported Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission. In memory of his mother, Late Veena Verma, who was a 3 term Rajya Sabha MP.
Dr. Verma dedicated a state-of-the-art free permanent shelter for the attendants of patients at KGMU Medical University, Lucknow, under the aegis of Vijay Shree Foundation. His daughter, Nicolle Verma, inaugurated the shelter.
During the event, Foodman Vishal Singh honored Nicolle Verma by presenting her with a memento. Mrs. Nidhi Sharma and Avantika Yadav, associated with the organization, welcomed her with garlands. Following this, Nicolle Verma distributed essential items to the attendants and also handed out fruits. She became emotional remembering her grandmother on her birth anniversary.
On this occasion, she also inaugurated the “Veena Verma Sevalaya” in memory of her grandmother, Veena Verma, to serve the attendants. She expressed, “I feel proud that my family is engaged in nation-building as well as social service. Today, in collaboration with Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh Ji, I feel immensely proud to dedicate this shelter for the poor, helpless, and needy attendants of patients battling serious illnesses like cancer. I am honored to be associated with the Hunger-Free World Mission for humanity.”
Inspired by the continuous humanitarian service provided by Vijay Shree Foundation over the past 17 years, Nicolle Verma donated 10 lakh rupees to support the cause. The purpose of this donation is to ensure that services continue for the needy attendants of patients suffering from severe illnesses in hospitals, as facilitated by Foodman Vishal Singh.
It is noteworthy that Dr. Abhishek Verma’s family has a legacy of public and philanthropic service. They are helping millions to carry forward the values and service work of their parents. On the occasion of his mother’s birth anniversary, Dr. Abhishek Verma dedicated this state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College to serve the attendants of patients through the Vijay Shree Foundation.
Supporting Foodman Vishal Singh’s Hunger-Free World mission, Dr. Abhishek Verma assured that he would continually support keeping this flame of humanity alive. He also promised to assist in providing medicines to the helpless patients.
Continuing her grandmother’s legacy of service, Nicolle Verma personally served food to the needy patients and attendants. She said, “It is our good fortune to have received the joy of doing this noble work today through Foodman Vishal Singh. I have taken another step forward in carrying my family’s values and cooperation by joining hands with the Vijay Shree Foundation. My father taught me to serve and help the needy, and I feel happy when I bring a smile to someone’s face.”
On the birth anniversary of the late Veena Verma, the event organizer, Vijay Shree Foundation founder Foodman Vishal Singh, said, “We feel proud and happy that Dr. Abhishek Verma, a globally renowned business tycoon, has extended his support to uplift our country from the hunger index. Today, on his mother’s birth anniversary, he inaugurated a state-of-the-art permanent shelter at Lucknow Medical College, which will always be helpful for the needy attendants of patients. It is a pleasure for me and the organization to receive the affection of Mr. Verma.”
The event was attended by General Manager Verma Family Office Hemant Garg, Sonu Rajput, and the organization’s volunteers, including Sandeep Singh, Parmeshwar Ji, Prashant Rao Gautam, Balram Singh, Ramesh Chaudhary, Suman, Jeetu, Anil, Suraj, Vinay, Manish Bhadauria, Manas Mehrotra, Vivek, Apurv, Happy, and others.
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