Most people wouldn't think of wearing a camel hair coat on a hot summer day. But many of
Tests have shown that a shaved camel loses 50% more moisture than a regular camel.
In the new system developed by engineersMIT, uses a two-layer material to achieve a similar effect. The bottom layer of material, which replaces the sweat glands, consists of a hydrogel, a gelatin-like substance. It is located on a sponge matrix from which water evaporates easily. Then the material is covered with a layer of airgel, which plays the role of fur.
Hydrogels are already being used for some systemscooling, but field tests and detailed analysis have shown that this new two-layer material, about a centimeter thick, provides better cooling - more than 7 ° C and five times longer than a single hydrogel. The two-layer material keeps you cool for over eight days instead of two with just a hydrogel.
According to the researchers, this system canuse for food packaging to keep them fresh. It will also allow medicines such as vaccines to be safely stored as they are transported to remote locations. A passive system powered entirely by heat not only provides cooling but also reduces temperature fluctuations that can accelerate product and food spoilage.
The main raw material used in double layersystem, inexpensive. The airgel is made from silica, which is essentially beach sand. It's cheap and affordable. However, the technological equipment for making the airgel is not cheap. This aspect will require further development in order to scale the system. But at least one start-up company is already interested in the scientists' discovery.
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