This winter jacket will automatically become thinner to prevent sweat

Chinese researchers from The Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics has created a winter jacket, that automatically changes thickness to prevent overheating and sweating. 

Most existing winter clothing is not able to adapt to the body’s heat as a result of physical activity. Under several layers of clothing, a person gets hot and starts to sweat. Because of this, you sometimes have to take off outerwear.

For decades, winter clothing manufacturers have focused on lighter, more breathable fabrics. However, truly adaptive clothing for winter conditions is rare, except for sports equipment. 

A team of Chinese researchers led by Xiuqiang Li used a bacterial cellulose membrane as a filler for her jacket. This membrane changes its thickness depending on the humidity level. In cool, dry air, the thickness of the filler is 13 mm, which allows for effective heat retention In high humidity, for example, when sweating, the filler layer shrinks to 2 mm. 

In this way, the jacket retains heat as needed, and can cool the body in case of overheating due to physical activity. First, the team tested the membrane in a controlled laboratory environment. They used a system that mimics human skin to measure thermal performance under different conditions. They then added the material to commercial down jackets for real-world testing. 

Volunteers wore these jackets while walking and cycling. The researchers monitored the level of comfort, body temperature, and the membrane’s response to humidity. According to the developers, their heat-adaptive jacket can improve thermoregulation up to 82.8% compared to traditional fabrics.

Chinese scientists also claim, that such clothing can reduce the heat stress zone by an average of 7.5 hours in 20 cities. This technology can be useful to people, for those working outdoors in various conditions. Paramedics, couriers, and police officers will be able to stay comfortable for longer without taking off their clothes. 

Further research will test the effectiveness of the membrane in extremely low and humid temperatures. The durability of the membrane over months or years of use also remains in question.

The researchers plan to test how bacterial cellulose will behave in conditions of constant movement, compression and washing. Another challenge is to expand production while maintaining an affordable price for the material.

The results of the study are presented in the journal Science Advances

Source: Interesting Engineering