Release: UChicago researchers invent new fabric that reduces heat

This year has already seen massive heatwaves around the globe, with cities in Mexico, India, Pakistan and Oman hitting temperatures near or past 122 degrees Fahrenheit (50 degrees Celsius).

As global temperatures and urban populations rise, the world's cities have become "urban heat islands," with tight-packed conditions and thermal radiation emitting from pavement and skyscraper trapping and magnifying these temperatures. With 68% of all people predicted to live in cities by 2050, this is a growing, deadly problem.

In a paper published June 13 in Science, researchers from the UChicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering demonstrate a new wearable fabric that can help urban residents survive the worst impacts of massive heat caused by global climate change.

In tests under the Arizona sun, the material stayed 4.1 degrees Fahrenheit (2.3 degrees Celsius) cooler than the broadband emitter fabric used for outdoor endurance sports, and 16 degrees Fahrenheit (8.9 degrees Celsius) cooler than the commercialized silk commonly used for shirts, dresses and other summer clothing.

The team hopes the fabric will help many avoid the heat-related hospitalizations and deaths seen in global population centers this year alone.

The researchers also hope the fabric could be used in buildings, cars, and food storage and transportation, lowering internal temperatures and reducing the cost and carbon impact of air conditioning.