Regulating Al₂O₃/PAN/PEG Nanofiber Membranes with Suitable Phase Change Thermoregulation Features

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Textile Engineering
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Personal thermal management textiles are crucial for human comfort.
• Phase change materials (PCMs) offer thermal storage but suffer from low thermal conductivity and leakage.
• Improving PCM performance is key for advanced textile applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance the thermal conductivity and stability of phase change materials for textile applications.
• To develop novel nanofiber membranes for effective personal thermal regulation.
• To investigate the impact of nano-alumina on PCM-based textile performance.

Main Methods:

• Coaxial electrospinning of polyethylene glycol (PEG) as PCM and polyacrylonitrile (PAN) as polymer backbone.
• Incorporation of spherical nano-alumina (Al2O3) to enhance thermal conductivity.
• Characterization of nanofiber membrane structure, thermal properties, and permeability.

Main Results:

• The developed nanofiber membranes exhibit a core-shell structure with enhanced thermal conductivity.
• Optimal performance was achieved with 5% nano-alumina addition, showing excellent thermal responsiveness and thermoregulation.
• The membranes demonstrated high melting enthalpy (60.05 J·g⁻¹) and stability over 50 thermal cycles.
• Excellent air and moisture permeability were observed, contributing to wearer comfort.

Conclusions:

• Coaxial electrospun nanofiber membranes offer a promising solution for personal thermal management textiles.
• The addition of nano-alumina effectively addresses the limitations of traditional PCMs in textiles.
• These advanced textiles provide durable and comfortable thermal regulation for diverse environmental conditions.