Laminated Cellulose Hybrid Membranes with Triple Thermal Insulation Functions for Personal Thermal Management Application

Abstract

Wearable textiles with multiple thermal insulation functions would play a significant role in preventing heat loss and improving personal thermoregulation properties. However, the precise control over the wearable materials with integrated insulation properties as well as the mechanical properties and antibacterial properties remains a challenge. Herein, the laminated cellulose hybrid membrane (LCHM) with triple thermal insulation functions was prepared by orderly vacuum filtration of cattail stick cellulose (CSC), nickel-silver core−shell nanowires (Ni@Ag-NWs), and exfoliated boron nitride nanosheets (BNNS) for personal thermal management application. Characterization results showed that the LCHM has a sandwich structure with an inner layer of Ni@Ag-NWs, middle layer of CSC and an outer layer of BNNS. The LCHM exhibited synergistic thermal management properties via infrared radiation insulation, electrical heating, and thermal insulation from the external environment. In this laminated system, the Ni@Ag-NW layer has a low infrared emissivity (10%) and higher conductivity (1.0 × 10 7 S/m), which can achieve dual thermal management by reducing human radiation and electric heating of the metal layer. Moreover, the introduction of BNNS into the cellulose membrane can play the role of thermal insulation from the external environment in spite of instinct insulation properties of cellulose materials. The cellulose fibers with extraordinary flexibility are self-tangled or tangled with other fibers to ensure the mechanical properties of the LCHM. In addition, the LCHM showed remarkable antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli bacteria. The desirable human thermal management properties of a hybrid membrane, which are comparable to the reported wearable materials, together with the advantages of functional integration, easy preparation, and controllable functional structures, make them excellent candidates for wearable applications.

Flexible engineering of advanced phase change materials

“…Integrating personal thermoregulation technologies into wearable textiles has enabled extensive and profound technological breakthroughs in energy savings, thermal comfort, wearable electronics, intelligent fabrics ( Peng and Cui, 2020 ; Tabor et al., 2020 ). Nevertheless, previous studies have suffered from long-standing issues such as limited working temperature, poor comfort, and weak textile reliability ( Gu et al., 2020 ; Li et al., 2021b ). Encapsulating PCMs into fibers is a facile and effective approach to solve the leakage problem and improve the thermal performances of flexible textiles ( Tang et al., 2018 ).…”

A review on emerging developments in thermal and moisture management by membrane‐based clothing systems towards personal comfort

“…43 One of the proposed strategies to develop thermal management structures is using thermally conductive fillers such as boron nitride (BN). 212,213 Using a well interpenetrated BN network within a nanofibrous membrane, highly thermal conductive breathable NFMs can be developed. 7 In-plane and out-plane thermal conductivity was 17.9 and 0.29 W m À1 K À1 , in the composite membrane obtained in this method.…”

Multifunctional Flexible Wearable Kevlar Aerogel Membranes with Breathable and Unidirectional Liquid Penetration Properties for Personal Thermal Management Application

“…For example, maintaining a body core temperature is important for life activities; 12% of the total energy consumption in the United States is for maintaining indoor space temperature . Currently, power-consuming equipment, such as air conditioning, electric blankets, and floor heating facilities, are used to maintain indoor space temperature resulting in a considerable amount of energy consumption. , In this context, a personal precise thermal management strategy is proposed, which can not only reduce the energy consumption of inanimate objects but also has no space limitations compared with space thermal management methods because it mainly focuses on the microenvironment of human skin. , In this respect, Gu et al reported laminated cellulose aerogel membranes with triple thermal insulation properties for personal thermal management application. However, the unidirectional liquid penetration properties of laminated membranes are limited by amphiphilic interfaces .…”