Cities around the globe are facing deadly heatwaves, with temperatures reaching as high as 50 degrees Celsius in countries like Mexico, India, Pakistan, and Oman. As urban populations and global temperatures rise, cities have become urban heat islands, with tight-packed conditions trapping and magnifying heat. With projections showing that 68 percent of the global population will live in cities by 2050, this is a growing issue that needs to be addressed.
Researchers from the UChicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering have developed a new wearable fabric that can help urban residents cope with the extreme heat caused by climate change. This fabric has potential applications in clothing, building design, car design, and food storage. In tests conducted under the Arizona sun, the fabric was found to be significantly cooler compared to other materials commonly used for outdoor sports and summer clothing, potentially helping to reduce heat-related hospitalizations and deaths.
While existing cooling fabrics work by reflecting sunlight, they do not take into account the thermal radiation emitted from buildings and pavement in urban environments. This new fabric has been designed to address both sources of heat, making it more effective in real-life scenarios where city-dwellers are exposed to multiple sources of heat. The fabric is engineered to have different optical properties to protect wearers from both solar and thermal radiation, providing a much-needed solution for those living in areas prone to extreme heatwaves.
Cooling homes often comes at a cost to the environment, with air conditioning and refrigeration systems contributing to climate change. The new cooling fabric developed by the PME team can serve as a passive cooling system that reduces the need for energy-intensive cooling systems, thereby lowering carbon emissions and energy costs. The fabric could also be used in building and car design to lower internal temperatures, as well as in food storage and transportation to reduce the need for refrigeration.
The impact of heat is not distributed evenly, with some regions having limited access to air conditioning and other cooling systems. The new cooling fabric provides a cost-effective solution that can be used to supplement existing cooling systems, particularly in developing countries where access to air conditioning is limited. The fabric has the potential to reduce energy costs and carbon emissions associated with cooling, making it a sustainable and effective solution for combating the effects of extreme heat.
The development of this new cooling fabric represents a significant advance in the field of material science, as it addresses the complex challenges of urban heat islands and extreme heatwaves. By considering both solar and thermal radiation in the design of the fabric, the researchers have created a versatile material that can be used in a variety of applications to provide relief from extreme heat. The fabric has the potential to improve the quality of life for residents in cities facing the impacts of global climate change, offering a sustainable and cost-effective solution to the growing problem of urban heat islands.