As global climate change intensifies and the El Niño phenomenon brings record-breaking high temperatures, staying cool during the hot summer has become a concern for many. Although many cooling garments with heat dissipation properties are already on the market, an innovative study from RMIT University in Australia has brought a completely new breakthrough to this challenge—a fabric coating made using nanodiamonds that can not only reduce perceived temperature but also save energy and reduce carbon emissions!
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What are Nanodiamonds? Why Can They Help Cool You Down?
Nanodiamonds are diamond particles with a size of less than 100 nanometers. Although they contain the word “diamond” in their name, they are different from jewelry diamonds, are inexpensive, and can be easily synthesized in large quantities. Like ordinary diamonds, they possess a carbon lattice structure, giving them excellent thermal conductivity. This property has led to the widespread application of nanodiamonds in IT, medical, and quantum technology fields, and now it has been successfully extended to textile technology.
Electrospinning Technology Creates Nanodiamond Coating, Effectively Cooling by 2~3°C
Led by project leaders Dr. Houshyar and Dr. Rahman, the research team mixed nanodiamond powder with polyurethane and a solvent, and then uniformly coated one side of cotton fabric with the solution using electrostatic spinning technology. After the coating solidified, it formed a nanofiber network. When the coated side is close to the skin, it quickly conducts human body heat to the air, while the uncoated outer side can avoid absorbing environmental heat.
In research experiments, the untreated side of coated fabric samples was placed on a heating plate close to 100°C for 10 minutes, and then cooled for 10 minutes. The results showed that compared to untreated cotton fabric, the samples treated with the nanodiamond coating could reduce the temperature by 2°C to 3°C, effectively improving the wearer’s comfort.
Cooling, UV Protection, Energy Saving: One Fabric, Multiple Effects
In addition to the cooling effect, the study also found that this nanodiamond coating can effectively enhance the ultraviolet protection ability of cotton fabric, making it an ideal clothing material for summer outdoor activities. Although its breathability and moisture absorption are slightly inferior to untreated cotton fabric, they are still within an acceptable range.
More excitingly, according to the team’s predictions, if this technology is applied to everyday clothing, it is expected to reduce air conditioning usage by 20% to 30%, further achieving energy saving and environmental protection goals. In the future, it may also be extended to the field of building materials, helping to alleviate indoor overheating problems.
Strong Potential, Expected to be Commercialized in the Future
This research was led by an interdisciplinary team at the Centre for Materials Innovation and Future Fashion (CMIFF), combining textile engineering and materials science, demonstrating high application potential. Dr. Houshyar pointed out, “This electrospinning method is simple and efficient, can reduce processing steps, and is more material-saving and cost-effective than traditional methods.”
Dr. Rahman also added, “Nanodiamonds not only have strong thermal conductivity but also biocompatibility and are harmless to the human body. In the future, they can be applied to sportswear, firefighters’ underwear, and even medical protective equipment.”
Currently, the team is conducting follow-up research focusing on the durability of the nanofiber coating under washing and long-term use, with the aim of bringing this technology to the market as soon as possible so that the public can enjoy a spring-like coolness even in the scorching heat.
The paper on this research was recently published in the journal Advanced Technology Polymers.
Reference
- Nanodiamonds Invested in Cooling Clothing, Noticeably Cooling by 3°C
- Diamond-coated clothing could keep wearers cooler
- Nanodiamonds could hold key to cool clothing
- Aisha Rehman, Shadi Houshyar, Azadeh Mirabedini, …, Xin Wang (2024). Immobilization of nanodiamonds onto cotton fabric through polyurethane nanofibrous coatings for summer clothing, Polymers for Advanced Technologies, Volume35, Issue1.
(Image source: RMIT University)
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