1A1_0668_ SMART FUNCTIONAL TEXTILES CREATED BY THE APPLICATION OF MACRO-ENCAPSULATED PHASE CHANGE MATERIAL

Abstract

A phase change material (PCM) absorbs or releases a large amount of so-called “latent heat” in a material specific temperature range while its temperature remains nearly constant. When the PCM absorbs latent heat, it melts from a solid into a liquid. In a textile application, the PCM needs to be properly contained to prevent dissolution while in its liquid state. In the macro-encapsulation technology, the PCM is cross-linked into a polymeric compound and contained therein. The polymeric compound with the PCM added to it can be directly applied to a textile carrier material in the form of a coating.