Chinese scientists have created a new type of silk fabric based on nanofibers of this natural material, which is characterized by its ability to reflect about 95% of sunlight, with almost zero absorption of ultraviolet rays.
The journal "Nature Sustainability" indicated that fabrics made from this material are able to reduce skin temperature by 4.3 degrees Celsius in extremely hot weather, compared to clothes made from traditional silk.
The researchers said: "The continuous increase in global temperatures has prompted us to develop new fabrics that help adapt to extreme heat, as natural silk does not adequately achieve this purpose because it does not reflect sunlight very efficiently and absorbs ultraviolet rays. Therefore, we created a nanofabric based on 'twisted' silk fibers that overcomes these limitations."
This innovation is attributed to a team of materials scientists led by Professor Zhang Yingying from Tsinghua University in Beijing, as part of a project aimed at improving the properties of natural biopolymers and developing environmentally friendly materials.
The team was able to modify the optical properties of silk through a special weaving strategy that controls surface thickness and structure. This enabled the "nano-silk" to reflect visible sunlight more efficiently and significantly reduce ultraviolet absorption compared to traditional silk. The fabric also retains similar heat transfer efficiency and exhibits comparable water resistance and mechanical properties to silk.
Experiments have shown that this fabric maintains a skin temperature between 5 and 8 degrees Celsius lower in hot and sunny conditions compared to wearing clothes, and about 4.3 degrees Celsius lower compared to ordinary silk, making it a promising option as an environmentally friendly fabric that could replace synthetic fabrics that pollute the environment.
