Scientists have created a new coating from ground-up chalk that they then applied to textiles, and fabrics which could cool the air beside it by 8 degrees F when the fabric coated in the chalk layer is put over the top.
The Scorching Dilemma
Picture a planet where you might cool down without sweltering with one of those bigass extremely high-power-consuming cooling units. For years, outdoorsmen and labourers have grappled with the challenge of how to stay cool during the sweltering heat of summer in a way that is efficient, but also do their part for the world. People from athletes and landscapers to kids on the playground and beachgoers have been looking for a fabric that can be cooler.
While traditional textiles that reflect or divert the sun’s rays often rely on plasticky polymers, and more typically are produced in ways that aren’t environmentally sustainable and are accessible through only a few specialized fibres; behind an app, AI-powered algorithms have taught themselves how to design optimized structures that show similar protective qualities as these high-end fabrics. A new development from researchers however might change things for the better by way of a chalk-based coating that is long-lasting and provides a cooling effect to the air beneath treated fabric
The Cooling Breakthrough
But a remarkable chalk-infused coating, created by Evan D. Patamia and Modesto A. Tamez at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and colleagues, was found to achieve an up to 8 degrees Fahrenheit drop in air temperature underneath the treated fabric. The product demonstrates the new approach they have developed with Trisha L. Andrew, a chemist and materials scientist who turned to Jain for help after trying to develop textile coatings in her own lab that could cool as well as synthetic materials but from natural, environmentally friendly components.
The researchers drew inspiration from the ancient lime-based plasters that prevent houses from warming up under sunshine, using calcium carbonate — which is the primary material in limestone and chalk to cool down drinking water as well as bio-compatible barium sulfate. The materials excel at reflecting the visible and near-infrared wavelengths that are responsible, respectively, for light and heat energy from the sun; they also repel a significant portion of the ultraviolet waves that cause photochemical degradation.
The team applies a thin polymer layer of poly(2-hydroxyethyl acrylate) to the fabric and then individually immerses it multiple times in solutions containing the calcium and barium ions, carbonate, sulfate ions. This enables the mineral particles to enlarge and homogenize further, turning the fabric chalky and matte when dry – so it refracts sun rays and expels human body heat.
Conclusion
The game-changing chalk-based chilling fabric could transform how we keep cool outside. The researchers crafted a versatile solution — using the power of natural materials and a straightforward, scalable manufacturing process that could be put to work for everyone from athletes and landscapers to families playing in the park or enjoying time spent at the beach. Thus, this breakthrough may serve as a new high-tech solution to the universal problem of heat and for anyone seeking relief from hot weather while lowering energy bills when each coated air-conditioning unit is required less frequently.
