Flexible Core–Sheath Composite Phase Change Thermoregulation Fiber Films via Coaxial Electrospinning
Shencong Kou, Chaoqi Liu, Yuan Hua Mu, Wenhao Peng, Xin Li, Biaoping Zhang, Bozhi Yang, Zhaohui Huang, Fengkun Hao, Xin Min, Minghao Fang
Abstract
Composite phase-change thermoregulatory fiber films were successfully fabricated using coaxial electrospinning, with polyacrylonitrile fiber films serving as the sheath and octadecane as the core phase-change material. The optimized phase-change fiber films, produced at a sheath feed rate of 0.60 mL/h and a core feed rate of 0.25 mL/h, exhibited the ability to absorb, store, and release thermal energy within the human comfort temperature range (approximately 28 °C), achieving a high melting enthalpy of 171.6 J/g, indicative of excellent heat storage capacity. Moreover, these fiber films demonstrated outstanding thermal stability, retaining a latent heat of 117.7 J/g after 100 heating–cooling cycles, along with excellent mechanical properties, including a tensile strength of 2.418 MPa, tensile yield stress of 2.331 MPa, tensile strain at break of 36.5%, and an elastic modulus of 58.226 MPa. The films also exhibited an exceptional thermal management performance. This study introduces a promising phase-change material for advanced applications in smart textiles, enabling efficient temperature regulation and energy conservation while ensuring comfort during wear.