Scientists created a novel film that is extremely effective in evaporating sweat from the skin and then absorbing the moisture from sweat, which can hold 15 times more moisture.
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New Film Developed Evaporates Sweat and Absorbs Moisture"
‘Scientists created a novel film that is extremely effective in evaporating sweat from the skin and then absorbing the moisture from sweat, which can hold 15 times more moisture.’
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The main components of the novel thin film are two hygroscopic chemicals - cobalt chloride and ethanolamine. Besides being extremely moisture-absorbent, this film can rapidly release water when exposed to sunlight, and it can be 'regenerated' and reused for more than 100 times.
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To make full use of the absorbed sweat, the NUS team has also designed a wearable energy harvesting device comprising eight electrochemical cells (ECs), using the novel film as the electrolyte. Each EC can generate about 0.57 volts of electricity upon absorbing moisture. The overall energy harvested by the device is sufficient to power a light-emitting diode. This proof-of-concept demonstration illustrates the potential of battery-less wearables powered using human sweat.
This technological breakthrough was reported in the September print issue of the scientific journal Nano Energy.
Absorbing Moisture for Personal Comfort
Conventional hygroscopic materials such as zeolites and silica gels have low water uptake and bulk solid structures, making them unsuitable for absorbing moisture from sweat evaporation. In comparison, the new moisture-absorbing film developed by NUS researchers takes in 15 times more moisture and do this 6 times faster than conventional materials.
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The NUS team packaged the film into breathable and waterproof polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) membranes, which are flexible and commonly used in clothing, and successfully demonstrated the application of the moisture-absorption film for underarm pad, shoe lining and shoe insole.
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"The prototype for the shoe insole was created using 3D printing. The material used is a mixture of soft polymer and hard polymer, thus providing sufficient support and shock absorption," explained research team co-leader Professor Ding Jun, who is also from the NUS Department of Material Science and Engineering.
The NUS team now hopes to work with companies to incorporate the novel moisture-absorption film into consumer products.
Source-Eurekalert