Inventors from the University of Waterloo (Canada) have detailed the properties of a new smart fabric in an article for the journal Nano-Micro Small. The authors of this remarkable idea position the fabric as the world’s first material that responds simultaneously to two external stimuli: heat and electricity. Under their influence, the fabric changes color and shape, and after the stimuli are removed, it returns to its original state.
In creating the intelligent fabric, researchers used a device similar to a traditional loom. They placed thin intertwined threads made of recycled plastic and stainless steel on it, the publication reported. Popular Science .
Compared to previous analogs, the new fabric is activated using significantly lower electrical voltage. Therefore, it is cheaper and more energy-efficient. Due to the low voltage, the material can be used in portable devices such as biomedical instruments and sensors. Additionally, scientists believe that smart fabric could be part of devices for anti-counterfeiting, orthopedic devices, and biomimetic applications. Eventually, this material is likely to be used for making smart clothing and producing useful everyday goods.
Due to its convenience and simplicity, temperature sensitivity is one of the most common stimuli in the study of shape- and color-changing smart materials. However, as noted by the team of scientists in their article, precise stimulation is usually extremely complex.
To give the new fabric the ability to change color, additional threads containing thermochromic microcapsules (TMC) were woven into the stainless conductive steel threads. When heated, the outer shell of the TMC becomes translucent. After cooling, the shell becomes opaque again, returning to its original color.
To demonstrate the potential of the invention, the team created a cute dragonfly-shaped model from smart fabric, which was subjected to thermal and electrical stimuli.
“Thanks to its ability to respond to environmental stimuli such as temperature, our new material can be used to monitor ecosystems without harming them,” noted Milad Kamkar, a professor of chemical engineering and the lead author of the study.