Development of a wearable infrared shield based on a polyurethane–antimony tin oxide composite fiber

Abstract

Here, we investigate a wearable-based IR and thermal stealth structure that effectively blocks IR and thermal radiation from a human body or device using a polyurethane-antimony tin oxide (PU-ATO) composite fiber. The aging time of the ATO sol prepared by a sol-gel method, and the concentration of ATO with respect to that of the PU matrix were optimized to prepare PU-ATO composite fibers that simultaneously have an appropriate mechanical strength (strength of~4 MPa and strain of~340%) and IR-and thermal radiation-shielding properties with~98% IR light, as determined by Fourier transform IR spectroscopic studies. The fabricated PU-ATO composite fiber showed stable IRand thermal radiation-shielding properties even when exposed to ten cycles of repeated temperature changes of −20 and +80°C and long-term temperature changes for 30 days. In addition, the surface of the PU-ATO composite fiber was rendered hydrophobic to prevent the distortion of the IR and thermal radiation due to the wetting of the PU-ATO composite fiber with absorbed water. The PU-ATO composite fiber-based textile proposed herein can be applied in wearable IR-and thermal radiation-shielding technologies to shield IR signals generated by objects of diverse and complex shapes.

Heat-shedding with photonic structures: radiative cooling and its potential

“…97–101 In addition to solar absorption, IR opacity was introduced into the textiles using various photonic configurations to hinder radiative heat loss from the body. Examples include Ge/Au structures, 97,102 polymer/oxide composite fiber, 98,103 and metal–polymer composite textiles. 99,100,104…”

Janus-Type Hydroxyapatite-Incorporated Kevlar Aerogel@Kevlar Aerogel Supported Phase-Change Material Gel toward Wearable Personal Thermal Management

“…Previously, various strategies of PTM, mainly including power-assisted garments, − wearable fabric-based materials, , and the emerging phase-change materials (PCMs), have been proposed to generate thermal comfort. , In the first form, an electrically driven personal cooling or heating system is composed of electrical fans, air blowers, or electrical heating elements to enhance the convective and evaporative dissipation or generate heat for human skin. − To achieve the second form, functional fabrics are required to be specifically designed toward properly dealing with the thermal radiation from the human body. For a cooling cloth, it can reflect solar light and transmit body radiation as much as possible, such that the thermal input is minimized while the thermal output is maximized, leading to a personal cooling effect. − For a heating cloth, in contrast, the solar light is absorbed while the body radiation is blocked as much as possible, such that the thermal input is maximized while the thermal output is minimized, leading to the personal heating effect. , Very recently, PTM using PCMs such as ice, dry ice, paraffin, hexadecane, etc.…”

“…5,6 In comparison with the traditional indoor temperature control system, PTM saves more energy and is environmentally friendly and can also timely and effectively maintain the thermal comfort of the human body in various environments. 7 Previously, various strategies of PTM, mainly including power-assisted garments, 8−16 wearable fabric-based materials, 17,18 and the emerging phase-change materials (PCMs), have been proposed to generate thermal comfort. 19,20 In the first form, an electrically driven personal cooling or heating system is composed of electrical fans, air blowers, or electrical heating elements to enhance the convective and evaporative dissipation or generate heat for human skin.…”

Laser‐Induced Tuning and Spatial Control of the Emissivity of Phase‐Changing Ge2Sb2Te5 Emitter for Thermal Camouflage

“…The manipulation of thermal emission contributes to a wide variety of fields, including thermal camouflage, [1][2][3][4][5][6] radiative cooling, [7][8][9] energy-saving windows, [10] thermophotovoltaics, [11][12][13] and IR stealth. [14,15] The broad IR spectrum can be divided into near-IR (0.75-1.5 µm), short-wavelength IR (1.5-3 µm), mid-wavelength IR (3-8 µm), long-wavelength IR (8-15 µm), and far IR (15-1000 µm). A blackbody at 298 K exhibits the maximum emission in the long-IR region around ≈10 µm.…”