Personal thermoregulation by mid-infrared engineered materials
Sujin Shao, Yuan Li, Xiuqiang Li, Wanlin Guo
Abstract
Regulation of human thermal radiation plays a vital role in personal heat management. Conventional textiles cannot satisfy the demands for dynamic heat dissipation because of their high emissivities. Recent studies on the regulation of textile emissivity through electricity, heat, sweat, and force have made significant progress in resolving this conundrum. However, this technology is still plagued by weak wearability, low stability, and limited dynamic regulation amplitude of heating/cooling. In this review, we first explain the heat transfer model of adjustable heat radiation smart textiles to comprehend the boundary conditions of heat management in this technology. The regulatory principles and recent developments related to electricity, heat, sweat, and force regulation are then systematically summarized. Finally, the difficulties encountered and future development directions are discussed. Therefore, it is necessary to rapidly promote the practical application of adjustable heat-radiating smart textiles.