A jacket inspired by polar bear fur... helps you stay warm

2024-01-08 2024-01-08T11:16:39Z

Arabia Weather - The Chinese research team succeeded in modeling the thermal properties of polar bear fur, with the aim of developing a new type of fiber that shows effectiveness in providing warmth when used in making a jacket. Polar bear fur is considered unique in its ability to provide thermal protection in the icy environment, as a result of its unique structure. Which hinders the emission of heat, and protects the bear's body from the cold.

In the study published in the journal "Science" on December 21, 2023 , researchers from Zhejiang University in the Department of Polymer Science and Engineering announced their success in drawing inspiration from the unique structure of bear fur to improve known airgel fibers, which allowed them to acquire thermal properties similar to bear fur. These research efforts are considered... Successful after the researchers achieved remarkable progress in solving the problems they previously encountered during the development of these fibers.

Innovation in the clothing industry thanks to thermal insulation and light weight

Airgel fibers have been developed, which are a special type of material made from "airgel" , a gelatinous material invented in the 1930s. The process of replacing the liquid component in it with a gas produces a solid material composed mostly of air, giving it light weight and superior porosity. The fibers are formed from This material is transformed into thin, flexible threads or fibres.

The fibers retain the basic properties of airgel, such as light weight and excellent thermal insulation, and are designed to be strong and effective, while maintaining light weight. They find applications in various industries that require lightweight and insulating materials, including the space materials industry, where they are used by NASA .

Although it faced challenges in the past, a recent development has solved two major problems:

Moisture Permeability and Durability Previously, they had difficulty allowing moisture to pass through, resulting in an uncomfortable feeling, and were also brittle and not durable, but modern progress has solved these challenges, allowing them to be effectively used in making light and warm clothing.

Properties of new fibers inspired by polar bear fur

Researchers conducted impressive experiments on new fibers inspired by polar bear fur, which showed their ability to amazingly stretch up to 1000% of stress, which is a huge improvement over traditional fibers, and this unique ability to stretch means that these fibers can withstand the force of stretching ten times longer. of its original length before breaking, which is known as “elongation at break.”

In addition, the new fibers significantly maintained their thermal insulation properties even after 10,000 repeated stretching cycles at 100% strain. On top of this, fibers offer additional features such as:

Waterproof: Thanks to their nature, airgel fibers remain waterproof, making them ideal for use in wet and snowy conditions.
Breathable: Despite the thermal insulation properties, the fibers allow for ventilation, which prevents overheating and keeps the skin dry.
Durability: The new fibers withstand repeated use and washes without losing insulating properties.
Eco-Friendly: The production of this fiber significantly reduces the environmental impact compared to traditional methods, which often involve poaching of polar bears. This is important progress towards maintaining ecological balance in the Arctic.