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 groundbreaking 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 once the stimuli are removed, it returns to its original state.
In creating this intelligent fabric, the researchers utilized a device similar to a traditional weaving loom. They placed thin, interwoven threads made from recycled plastic and stainless steel, as reported by Popular Science.
Compared to previous analogs, the new fabric activates with significantly lower electrical voltage. This makes it cheaper and more energy-efficient. Thanks to the low voltage, the material can be used in portable devices such as biomedical instruments and sensors. Additionally, the scientists believe that the smart fabric could be incorporated into anti-counterfeiting devices, orthopedic devices, and biomimetic applications. In the future, this material is likely to be used for smart clothing and everyday useful products.
Due to its convenience and simplicity, temperature sensitivity is one of the most common stimuli in the study of intelligent materials that change shape and color. However, as the research team noted in their article, precise stimulation is often extremely complex.
To give the new fabric the ability to change color, additional threads containing thermochromic microcapsules (TMC) were woven into the stainless steel conductive threads. When heated, the outer shell of the TMC becomes translucent. After cooling, the shell returns to being opaque, reverting to its original color.
To demonstrate the potential of their invention, the team created an adorable model in the shape of a dragonfly from the smart fabric, which was subjected to thermal and electrical stimuli.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dEhjfSGxj https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dEhjfSGxj
“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.