Soltani Mohammad, Lahiri Sudip Kumar, Shabanian Sadaf, Golovin Kevin
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3G8, Canada.
School of Engineering, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, British Columbia, V1V 1V7, Canada.
Mater Horiz. 2023 Oct 2;10(10):4293-4302. doi: 10.1039/d3mh00634d.
Textiles with a wicking finish transport moisture away from the skin, such that it is exposed to the environment for fast evaporation, aiding in thermophysiological comfort. Once saturated, such as in highly humid environments or if the wearer dons multiple layers, the efficacy of such a finish is substantially reduced. Here, we develop a new type of fluid transport textile design by combining physical and chemical wettability patterns to transport and remove liquids like sweat. First, a non-toxic, superhydrophobic fabric finish is developed that retains the air permeability of the fabric. Next, two superhydrophobic fabric layers are threaded together, containing wettability channels patterned at the inner/interior side of the fabrics. This design allows for liquid transport through the stitches to the interior channels and keeps both external faces dry. The developed strategy enables directional fluid transport under highly humid conditions, resulting in a ∼20 times faster transport rate than evaporation-based methods. The design principles described here can be used to provide thermophysiological comfort for users in extreme conditions, such as firefighters, law enforcement personnel, and health workers wearing personal protective ensembles.
具有吸湿排汗整理功能的纺织品将水分从皮肤带走，使其暴露于环境中以便快速蒸发，有助于实现热生理舒适性。一旦饱和，比如在高湿度环境中或穿着者多层着装时，这种整理的功效会大幅降低。在此，我们通过结合物理和化学润湿性模式来开发一种新型的液体传输纺织品设计，以传输和去除汗液等液体。首先，开发出一种无毒的超疏水织物整理剂，其保留了织物的透气性。接下来，将两个超疏水织物层穿在一起，织物内侧/内部设有图案化的润湿性通道。这种设计允许液体通过缝线传输到内部通道，并使两个外表面保持干燥。所开发的策略能够在高湿度条件下实现定向液体传输，其传输速度比基于蒸发的方法快约20倍。这里描述的设计原则可用于为极端条件下的用户提供热生理舒适性，比如消防员、执法人员以及穿着个人防护装备的医护人员。
