Tips: what is phase transition?
In nature, the state of matter mostly exists in the form of gas, liquid and solid, and each state of matter can be called a "phase state". When a substance exchanges heat with the external environment and reaches a "special temperature critical point", the physical state of the substance will change from one phase state to another. The process of this transformation is called "phase transition". The special temperature of phase transition is "phase transition temperature", and the material that can take place this process is called "phase change material".
Principles of phase change materials
Phase change material (PCM) is a kind of material that can absorb, store and release energy through latent heat of phase change. When the phase state of energy storage micro unit changes, its temperature almost remains unchanged, and it absorbs or releases a lot of latent heat, so as to achieve functional requirements. By encapsulating phase change materials in nano micron scale cells, the micro cell and phase state change of materials can be controlled, which greatly expands the application field of materials. This magical new material has a very broad application prospect, such as textiles, aerospace, transportation, agriculture, national defense, building materials, solar energy system, military, refrigeration equipment and medical equipment.
Application of phase change material textiles
At present, for the research and application of textile materials, micro energy storage units with suitable phase change point can be implanted into fabrics and fibers or coated to become intelligent two-way temperature regulating clothing with temperature regulating units. Sportswear or underwear produced with this kind of fiber can regulate body temperature and improve blood microcirculation. Other applications include fragrance capsules, anti mosquito capsules, and thermal functional fluids.
The intelligent temperature regulation mechanism of phase change energy storage fiber is: when the human body is in the stage of intense activity, it will produce more heat, and use phase change materials to store these heat. When the human body is in the static period, the heat stored by phase change materials will be slowly released to maintain the constant temperature in the clothing.
Microencapsulation technology of phase change temperature regulation
There are four common methods for the application of phase change materials in textiles, including hollow fiber impregnation filling method, fabric finishing method, spinning method and microcapsule treatment method. The application of microcapsule technology overcomes the limitations of phase change materials and improves its efficiency. Microencapsulation of phase change materials can not only effectively increase the heat conduction area, reduce the reaction between phase change materials and the external environment, but also control the change of material volume when phase change occurs. Intelligent temperature regulation is its main function.
When phase change materials are used in clothing, the temperature range of phase change should be similar to that of human body, so as to keep constant skin temperature. The phase change temperature of phase change materials used in general clothing is 25 ~ 29 ℃. The phase change temperature of phase change materials is too high to cool down, and too low will cause discomfort and even disease. In addition, the bionic temperature regulating fiber can not only automatically adjust the clothing temperature according to the weather changes, but also flexibly adjust the water vapor permeability, quickly discharge moisture, and has high waterproof and windproof functions.
The mechanism is latent heat
When the human body is in intense exercise, the body will produce a lot of heat, which will be absorbed and stored by phase change materials;
When the human body is at rest, the phase change material will slowly release the stored heat, which is used to keep the temperature constant in the clothing.