Radiative cooling textiles
Innovative solutions for a warming world
Limiting climate change and adapting to warmer conditions are undeniably this century’s greatest challenge. The world needs to reduce its energy consumption, yet air-conditioning already accounts for 10% of global energy, and is the fastest growing use of energy in buildings. With increasing parts of the world becoming inhospitably hot, and some parts predicted to even become uninhabitable soon, effective cooling is shifting from a comfort to a vital necessity. The conflicting need for increased cooling while lowering energy consumption requires an entirely new approach.
At the University of Sydney, an interdisciplinary team aims to develop new types of textiles that can keep people cool in hot environments, without using any energy or electricity. These textiles are based on a technique called passive cooling, which means they can reflect the sun's heat and radiate the body's heat into the cold of space. This way, the textiles can lower the temperature of the wearer by several degrees, even in full sun. The project is funded by the Physics Foundation’s Grand Challenge scheme.
Research projects
- Increasing solar reflectivity using nanoparticles Nanoparticles such as zinc oxide are already widely used in sunscreen for UV protection. But once attached to cotton or wool, nanoparticles could be very effective at reducing the amount of heat of the sun absorbed by textiles, making them feel considerably cooler in full sun. The team is working on effective ways of attaching the particles, or even structuring natural fibres directly at the nanoscale, in a way that would withstand normal textile care routines.
- Increasing heat transparency through nanostructures Almost all textiles are strongly absorbent of the body’s radiated heat (in the infrared), creating a personal greenhouse effect for the wearer. The team is working on altering infrared absorption through nano-and micro-structures engineering the photonic properties of the textile’s fibres, creating new pathways for heat to escape. This requires not only advanced manufacturing, but cutting-edge electromagnetic theory of structured media.
Our People
Boris Kuhlmey (Physics, co-group leader)
Alex Y Song (Electrical and Computer Engineering, co-group leader)
Martijn de Sterke (Physics)
Maryanne Large (Physics)
Simon Fleming (Physics)
Chiara Neto (Chemistry)
Ollie Jay (Health Sciences)
Ariana Brambilla (Architecture, Design and Planning)
Funding
This project is funded through the Physics Foundation's Grant Challenge scheme.