Cooling clothes with nanodiamonds,an industrial breakthrough for climate adaptation

As you walk outside the house on a very hot day, you may wish that you could reduce the feeling of heat by taking off some of your clothes, but this may not happen again in the future, because your clothes themselves may be the solution to give you the required coolness, which is the important breakthrough achieved by researchers at the Royal Institute of Technology. In Melbourne, Australia, they announced it in the journal “Polymers of Advanced Technology.”

Researchers have announced the use of "nanodiamonds" to create smart textiles that can cool people faster. They found that fabric made of textiles coated with "nanodiamonds" using a method called "electrospinning" gives a decrease of 2-3 degrees Celsius in temperature compared to cotton. Untreated, which can help achieve the goal of “climate adaptation” for residents of hot areas who suffer from heat increasing due to climate change.

“Nanodiamonds” are small, nanometer-scale particles of diamond, usually ranging in size from 1 to 100 nanometers. A nanometer is one billionth of a meter, making nanodiamonds invisible to the naked eye.

These nanodiamonds are composed of the same carbon atoms arranged in a crystal lattice structure as larger diamonds. However, due to their small size, they exhibit unique properties that differ from larger diamonds, as they possess high surface area-to-volume ratios, which can enhance their reactivity and make them useful in various applications, including textiles.

In previous studies, research teams attempted to employ "nanodiamonds" in textiles, but the techniques used to apply them to textiles - such as coating, spraying, or embedding - were not practical or economical, as well as did not achieve the desired results to a large extent. The researchers claim that the method they used In the new study, I combined the two advantages, which are “economic feasibility” and “achieving greater cooling.”

What is nanodiamond electrospinning?

Electrospinning is a process used to create extremely small fibers using an electric field. It is likened to making cotton candy, but instead of using sugar, a liquid mixture is used that contains small particles called “nanodiamonds”. These are the steps to implement it:

Preparation : Load the liquid mixture into a syringe, just like the one a doctor uses for injections.

Spinning : A needle is attached to the syringe and placed near a flat surface such as a table.

Electrical charge : A special electrical charge is then applied to the liquid mixture by connecting it to a battery or power source, and this charge causes the liquid to form into thin threads similar to the way a spider spins its web.

Expansion : As the charged liquid exits the needle it expands and stretches, becoming thinner and thinner, like pulling out a piece of gum.

Solidification : As the threads expand, the liquid begins to dry, leaving behind small solid fibers made of the special liquid and nano-diamonds. It is as if the water is evaporating from a pond, leaving behind only dry earth.

Collection : All these small fibers are collected on the flat surface to form a soft and delicate mat that is the special fabric, made of cotton-like fibers and filled with nano-diamonds.

4 advantages give it advantage

Electrospinning in this way appears to be distinct from other methods - such as coating, spraying, or embedding - with four advantages revealed by the study:

Uniform distribution : Electrospinning allows precise control over the distribution of nanodiamonds within the fibres, ensuring uniform dispersion throughout the fabric. This uniformity enhances the effectiveness of the cooling properties and other required functions.

Direct integration : This process incorporates it directly into the polymer matrix during fiber formation, meaning it becomes an essential part of the fabric, providing consistent performance throughout the life of the material.

Efficiency and scalability : Electrospinning is a scalable process compared to other methods, and can be easily adapted for large-scale production, making it suitable for industrial applications and marketing.

Versatility : Electrospinning is compatible with a wide range of polymers and additives, allowing flexibility in material selection, and this versatility enables fabric properties to be tailored to meet specific requirements, such as cooling, durability and comfort.

Why was Diamond chosen for the cooling mission?

Diamonds were specifically chosen for use in electrospinning to perform the function of cooling the body for five advantages, which were indicated in  the press release issued by the university, which are:

High thermal conductivity : Nanodiamonds have an extremely high thermal conductivity, which means they can efficiently transfer heat from one place to another, and when incorporated into textiles, they can quickly draw heat away from the body similar to the way metal conducts heat away from a hot surface.

Improved surface area : Nanodiamonds have a large surface area relative to their size due to their small size and high surface-to-volume ratio, and this increased surface area allows for more effective contact with the skin, which increases the transfer of body heat to the fabric.

Heat dissipation : Once nanodiamonds absorb heat, it dissipates away from the body and into the surrounding environment, and this process creates a cooling effect on the skin, which helps lower body temperature and improve comfort.

Moisture management : Additionally, nanodiamond-backed textiles may improve moisture management by wicking sweat away from the skin and promoting evaporation. This evaporation process also contributes to a cooling sensation by removing heat from the body's surface.

Targeted Application : By applying nano-diamond coating to specific areas of fabric that are in direct contact with the skin such as the inner layer of clothing, the cooling effect is localized where it is needed most.

Cheap material multiple applications

Contrary to popular belief, nanodiamonds are not the same as those that adorn jewelry. They are cheaper than graphene oxide and other types of carbon materials, and they are also easy to manufacture, says Shadi Hoshyar, a professor at the Faculty of Engineering at the Royal Institute of Technology in Melbourne and the study’s lead researcher.

Shadi explains in the press release issued by the institute that nanodiamonds can be manufactured in several ways, including:

Explosion method : This method involves detonating carbon-containing materials in a controlled environment. The explosion generates high pressure and temperature, causing the carbon atoms to rearrange to form diamond structures.

High-pressure and high-temperature method: In this method, carbonaceous materials such as graphite are exposed to extreme pressure and temperature conditions similar to those found deep in the Earth’s mantle, where natural diamonds form over millions of years.

Chemical vapor deposition : In this technique, a gas containing carbon atoms such as methane is introduced into a chamber with a substrate, and a high-energy source such as a plasma or laser breaks up the gas molecules, allowing the carbon atoms to deposit on the substrate and form diamond layers.

Nanodiamonds are used in medical applications, water desalination, personal care products, improving the mechanical properties of materials and energy storage, and electrospinning facilitates their use in textiles, says study co-researcher Aisha Rahman.

Rahman adds in the press release, “Although a 2-3 degree Celsius drop in temperature may not seem like a big change, it makes a difference in the effects of comfort and health over long periods, and in practical terms it can be the difference between turning on the air conditioner or Turn it off."

Step towards the application

Moataz Al-Shafi’i, professor of materials at Mansoura University in Egypt, considers the results reached by the researchers as a first step towards application, noting in a telephone conversation with Al-Jazeera Net that there are many questions that must be answered in subsequent studies to complete the path.

Al-Shafi’i said: Among the important questions is related to “durability and longevity,” as there is a need to know “the extent of the durability of textiles coated with nanodiamonds during repeated use and washing cycles, the factors that affect the longevity of cooling properties, and how the life of these can be extended.” Textiles?

He explains that among other questions, regarding the percentage of decrease of 2-3 degrees Celsius that the researchers considered satisfactory, work should be done - in his opinion - to improve the cooling efficiency at a greater rate, and he adds: “Subsequent studies must answer whether there are concentrations of diamonds.” Nanotechnology, or manufacturing techniques that improve cooling performance.”

Finally, Al-Shafii believes that it is necessary to conduct more personal experiments on individuals wearing textiles coated with nanodiamonds in different environmental conditions, as evaluating reactions can help improve the comfort and wearability of these textiles to ensure their widespread adoption and acceptance.