Abstract
This study deals with the temperature adjusting performance of thermoregulated woven fabric based on phase-change microcapsules in low-temperature environment. Phase-change microcapsules containing n-octadecane (MicroC18) with melamine–urea–formaldehyde as shell were synthesized by an in situ polymerization using styrene maleic anhydride copolymer as emulsifying agent. Surface morphology, chemical structure, and thermal properties of MicroC18 were, respectively, characterized using field emission scanning electron microscope, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermal gravimetric analysis. The results indicate that a series of microcapsules with spherical shapes were fabricated with about 20.6-μm weight-average particle size. Latent heat is about 188.2 J/g and encapsulation efficiency of n-octadecane (C18) is 85.2%. Phase-change microcapsule composite fabric was prepared through foaming method with plain weave, twill weave, and satin weave as substrates. Thermal insulation property, low-temperature resistance, air permeability, and mechanical property of the finished fabric were investigated. The results show that the cooling rate of finished fabric is significantly slower, and low-temperature resistance time increases. Finished satin fabric has the best thermal resistance performance. The air permeability of finished fabrics is lightly reduced, and final elongation in warp and weft are increased by 16.5% and 15.2%, respectively.
Highlights
Ultra-low-temperature protection technology has important applications in the fields of aerospace, biology, and medicine
The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra of the MicroC18, MUF shell, and C18 are presented in Figure 2, in which a characteristic broad band responsible for (N–H) and (O–H) stretching vibration peak superposition was observed around 3380 cm−1
The characteristic absorption bands for the aliphatic (C–N) vibration appeared at 1170 cm−1, while the characteristic triazine ring bending was observed at 810 cm−1
Summary
Ultra-low-temperature protection technology has important applications in the fields of aerospace, biology, and medicine. Microencapsulated PCMs (microPCMs) have been rapidly developed in recent 30 years and widely used in aerospace, textile, and other fields.[8,9] Due to the smaller particle size and larger specific surface area, microPCMs exhibit relatively higher phase-change enthalpy and more remarkable effect on heat storage and temperature adjustment.[10,11] The most widely accepted microcapsule shell materials include polyurethane[12] (PU), melamine–formaldehyde resin[13] (MF), and urea–formaldehyde resin[14] (UF), which possess excellent high-temperature performance, and so on. This study revealed the preparation process of MUF microcapsules containing C18 (MicroC18) as phase-change core material for thermal energy storage. The finishing solution prepared by mixing 15.0 wt% WPUs, 10.0 wt% MicroC18, 2.5 wt% PVA, 2.5 wt% SDS, and 70.0 wt% deionized water was injected into CPU20F-Y low-pressure PU foaming machine with high foaming to make the foam uniform. Final elongation and final elongation ratio of plain fabric in warp and weft were measured by multi-function fabric machine (YG026D; Dongguan Fangyuan Instrument Co., Ltd, China) using samples with the size of 25 cm × 5 cm
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