As temperatures remain high during the fall, individuals may still wish for apparel that helps keep them cool outdoors, particularly those residing in warmer urban areas compared to rural locales. Researchers who first introduced a cooling fabric coating have now shared additional findings regarding a treated polyester fabric in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. The fabric, enhanced with a chalk-based coating developed by the team, was able to maintain air temperatures underneath it up to 6 degrees Fahrenheit cooler in hot urban settings.
As temperatures remain high during the fall, individuals may still wish for clothing that helps keep them cool outdoors, particularly those who live in cities that are warmer than rural areas. Researchers who first introduced a cooling fabric coating have now shared further findings concerning a treated polyester fabric in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. The fabric, enhanced with a chalk-based coating created by the team, managed to keep the air underneath up to 6 degrees Fahrenheit cooler in hot urban environments.
The research team, consisting of Evan D. Patamia, Megan K. Yee, and Trisha L. Andrew, developed a polymer-mineral coating for commercial fabrics and presented initial evaluations of this coating’s cooling properties at the ACS Fall 2024 conference organized by the American Chemical Society.
They have now validated that their treated polyester poplin fabric can keep someone up to 15 degrees cooler than regular polyester. Furthermore, they expanded their testing to four outdoor urban locations that include surfaces which absorb and release heat from the sun. Observations recorded on hot, sunny days revealed that the treated polyester consistently kept the air underneath cooler, irrespective of the environment:
- Open grassy area: averaging 6 degrees cooler than the surrounding air.
- Concrete alley between buildings: averaging 3 degrees cooler than the surrounding air.
- Asphalt parking lot: averaging 1 degree cooler than the surrounding air.
- Open concrete patio: averaging 3 degrees cooler than the surrounding air.
The researchers believe these expanded findings demonstrate the potential for their coated fabrics to provide effective cooling solutions for pedestrians and cyclists in urban areas.
The authors express gratitude for funding from an interdisciplinary research grant from the College of Natural Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.