Jeonbuk National University (JBNU) Professor Kim Geon-woo's research team (Department of Organic Materials and Fiber Engineering) has developed a temperature-adaptive metafiber (metafiber) that self-adjusts solar and thermal radiation properties in response to ambient temperature changes.

This research has been published in the international journal Chemical Engineering Journal under the title 'Thermal-adaptive dualband tunable metafabric'.

The metafiber developed by the research team is characterized by a design that can simultaneously control transmittance in the visible and near-infrared regions and reflectance in the thermal infrared region according to temperature. The material's optical and thermal properties change automatically with ambient temperature variations without a separate power supply or control device.

At low temperatures, it increases solar transmittance to capture solar energy reaching the body, and reflects thermal radiation emitted from the skin to reduce heat loss.

Conversely, at higher temperatures it suppresses solar transmittance while allowing thermal radiation emitted from the skin to be effectively released to the outside, helping to reduce body temperature rise.

It is also notable that a single fiber material can switch between a "heat-retention mode" and a "cooling mode" depending on the surrounding environment. Unlike existing active heating–cooling garments that require batteries or a power supply, this realizes thermal environment control without energy consumption.

As heat waves and abnormal high temperatures have continued recently, interest in next-generation functional fibers that can reduce heating and cooling energy consumption while improving wearer thermal comfort has increased.

The research team expects this technology to be applied to clothing and functional fiber materials in the future, enabling smart fibers that actively regulate the wearer's thermal environment.

The technology has currently completed related patent applications for commercialization and industrial use. The team plans to continue follow-up research to enhance its applicability to actual clothing and functional fiber materials.

Professor Kim Geon-woo said, "In a situation where heat waves are becoming commonplace due to climate change, the importance of fiber technology that implements thermal environment control by itself according to ambient temperature changes without using additional energy will grow further," adding, "We will continue to develop advanced material technologies that offer practicality and distinctiveness."


 

<Metafiber Whose Thermal Emissivity Changes With Internal Heat Generation>

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