Summer might be coming to an end here in the West, but that doesn’t mean we can forget about the impending heat waves we’ll be facing in the coming years. While we definitely want to cut down on climate change-causing issues, some researchers have been looking for more novel ways to approach those problems, like creating body-cooling clothes that can reduce your body temperature up to eight degrees lower than the air.
Scientists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst are pushing the research. The latest development is a flexible, chalk-based coating that can be added to any kind of fabric. Once added to the fabric, the clothes can reduce the body temperature by up to 15 degrees compared to untreated clothing, according to CNN.
The nice thing about this coating is that it can be applied to nearly any commercially available fabric out there, making almost any outfit into a set of body cooling clothes. And because the coating is surface level, it doesn’t actually change the material in any way. It doesn’t even penetrate the fibers, the researchers note.
The coating is also strong enough to be put through the washing machine, so once it is added, you won’t have to worry about it washing off later. Being able to turn almost any clothing into cooler fabric is going to be revolutionary, as well, especially in places where heat waves continue to run rampant.
That’s because being able to turn any shirt or pants into body cooling clothes without needing an external power source will allow many to cool off in extreme heat, even in those extremely hot environments. There are still some major improvements to be made, though.
For example, the efficiency of the material was found to decrease after several washings. But, if they can increase the efficiency of the coating, they’ll be able to provide cooling clothes for just about anyone anywhere in the world.
