Purple Fabric Cools Better Than White Cotton Using Radiative Cooling
At Adelaide University, researchers have created a purple fabric that utilizes passive radiative cooling, surpassing white cotton in managing heat. During outdoor experiments under direct sunlight, this innovative fabric was found to be 4.2°C (7.6°F) cooler than standard white cotton and 6.2°C (11.2°F) cooler than typical purple cotton. It reflects approximately 87.6% of incoming solar radiation and emits 96.4% of mid-infrared radiation, allowing heat to dissipate into space without using electricity. The research team, led by materials engineering professor Jun Ma, PhD, employed a cobalt-based metal-organic framework (MOF) to create the purple hue and enhance infrared emission. This study, titled 'An Electrospun Purple Fabric for Personal Thermal Management,' was published in the journal Small, suggesting that colorful cooling clothing may be possible in the future.
Key facts
- Purple fabric developed by Adelaide University researchers stays 4.2°C cooler than white cotton and 6.2°C cooler than conventional purple cotton in direct sunlight.
- The fabric uses passive radiative cooling, reflecting 87.6% of solar radiation and emitting 96.4% of mid-infrared radiation.
- A cobalt-based metal-organic framework (MOF) provides the purple color and aids in heat release.
- MOFs were recognized with the 2025 Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
- Purple is challenging because it requires absorbing green light, a strong part of the sun's spectrum.
- The study was published in the journal Small.
- The fabric is not yet ready for commercial use.
Entities
Artists
- Jun Ma
Institutions
- Adelaide University
- Zhengzhou University
- University of Adelaide
- School of Chemical Engineering
- designboom
Locations
- China
- Australia