The Design and Manufacture of a Multilayer Low-Temperature Protective Composite Fabric Based on Active Heating...

Based on active heating materials (the phase change microcapsules (microPCMs)) and passive insulating materials (SiO₂ aerogel), a new-type multilayer low temperature protective composite fabric (MPF) was designed and manufactured to meet the demands of protection and operation in a short time under a low-temperature environment. Results showed that the MPF consisted of three layers including the fabric layer, the microPCM function layer, and the SiO₂ aerogel thermal insulation layer. The differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) results demonstrated that the phase transition enthalpy of the composite was 96.2 J/g during the cooling process. The low-temperature resistance and thermal insulation performance at -50 °C were investigated. The results also demonstrated that the low-temperature resistance time of the MPF was 660 s and the power consumption of the MPFs needed to maintain 37 °C for 10 and 20 min were 629 J and 1872 J, respectively. Compared with the microPCM function layer and the thermal insulation layer, which have the same thickness as the MPF, the low-temperature resistance time of the MPF was prolonged for about 2 and 3 min, respectively. The MPF could provide effective protection of the low-temperature work in a short time and could be applied as potential materials in low-temperature protection.