Sandwich-Structured Coating for Ultraviolet Protection and Thermal Management Applications

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Textile Engineering

Background:

• Ultraviolet (UV) radiation poses health risks, necessitating protection.
• Managing thermal exchange is crucial for comfort and performance in textiles.
• Infrared-reflective materials are gaining interest for thermal management applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize multifunctional titanium dioxide/copper-aluminum/titanium dioxide (TCAT) sandwich-structured coatings on polyester fabric.
• To evaluate the UV shielding, optical barrier, and thermal shielding properties of the TCAT coatings.
• To assess the feasibility of integrating these coatings into daily-use polyester textiles for protective applications.

Main Methods:

• Magnetron sputtering was used to deposit TCAT coatings on polyester fabric.
• Coating thicknesses were controlled by varying deposition times.
• Characterization involved X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, UV-vis spectroscopy, and thermal imaging.

Main Results:

• TCAT coatings formed an optically dense barrier on polyester fabric with near-zero UV transmittance.
• The coatings suppressed light penetration across the visible to near-infrared (VIS-NIR) range.
• Thermal imaging indicated reduced apparent surface temperature for coated fabrics, suggesting partial thermal shielding.

Conclusions:

• TCAT multilayer coatings provide substrate-independent UV shielding and optical/thermal barrier behavior.
• The integration of multifunctional TCAT coatings into polyester textiles is feasible.
• These coatings offer effective UV protection and potential for thermal management in protective textiles.