Overview
- A team from Zhengzhou University and Adelaide University published peer-reviewed results on Monday showing the prototype reflects about 87.6% of incoming sunlight and emits roughly 96.4% of mid-infrared radiation, the optical traits that enable passive radiative cooling.
- The fabric is made by embedding a purple metal-organic framework called ZIF-67 and zinc oxide nanoparticles into thermoplastic polyurethane fibers created by electrospinning, which gives the material its color while preserving reflective and emissive properties.
- Outdoor tests found the material ran about 7.6°F (4.2°C) cooler than commercial white cotton and about 11.2°F (6.2°C) cooler than conventional purple cotton, and simulated-skin trials showed temperature drops of about 14°F under sunlight.
- Laboratory durability and usability checks showed the textile is lightweight, breathable, stretch-resistant and water-repellent, and it retained color and cooling performance after 50 wash cycles and UV accelerated-aging equivalent to roughly 108 days outdoors.
- Key next steps are large-scale manufacturing, long-term field trials, cost and occupational testing to confirm real-world benefits for outdoor workers and consumers before the material can move from proof of concept to mass-produced clothing.