Sustainable polyethylene fabrics with engineered moisture transport for passive cooling

Matteo Alberghini, Seongdon Hong, L. Marcelo Lozano, Volodymyr Korolovych, Yi Huang, Francesco Signorato, S. Hadi Zandavi, Corey Fucetola, Ihsan Uluturk, Michael Y. Tolstorukov, Gang Chen, Pietro Asinari, Richard M. Osgood, Matteo Fasano and Svetlana V. Boriskina ()
Additional contact information
Matteo Alberghini: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Seongdon Hong: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
L. Marcelo Lozano: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Volodymyr Korolovych: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Yi Huang: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Francesco Signorato: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
S. Hadi Zandavi: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Corey Fucetola: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Ihsan Uluturk: US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center
Michael Y. Tolstorukov: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Gang Chen: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Pietro Asinari: Politecnico di Torino
Richard M. Osgood: US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Soldier Center
Matteo Fasano: Politecnico di Torino
Svetlana V. Boriskina: Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Nature Sustainability, 2021, vol. 4, issue 8, 715-724

Abstract: Abstract Polyethylene (PE) has emerged recently as a promising polymer for incorporation in wearable textiles owing to its high infrared transparency and tuneable visible opacity, which allows the human body to cool via thermal radiation, potentially saving energy on building refrigeration. Here, we show that single-material PE fabrics may offer a sustainable, high-performance alternative to conventional textiles, extending beyond radiative cooling. PE fabrics exhibit ultra-light weight, low material cost and recyclability. Industrial materials sustainability (Higg) index calculations predict a low environmental footprint for PE fabrics in the production phase. We engineered PE fibres, yarns and fabrics to achieve efficient water wicking and fast-drying performance which, combined with their excellent stain resistance, offer promise in reducing energy and water consumption as well as the environmental footprint of PE textiles in their use phase. Unlike previously explored nanoporous PE materials, the high-performance PE fabrics in this study are made from fibres melt spun and woven on standard equipment used by the textile industry worldwide and do not require any chemical coatings. We further demonstrate that these PE fibres can be dry coloured during fabrication, resulting in dramatic water savings without masking the PE molecular fingerprints scanned during the automated recycling process.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41893-021-00688-5

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