Synthesis, characterization, and development of thermally enhanced cotton fabric using nanoencapsulated phase change materials containing paraffin wax

The objective of this study was to develop a thermoregulated cotton fabric using novel nanoencapsulated phase change material that contains paraffin wax as core and urea-formaldehyde as the shell material using in-situ polymerization method. The nanocapsules were fixed on the fabric surface using pad-dry-cure method. The morphology and chemical structures were measured using scanning electron microscope and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, respectively. The thermal properties and stabilities were measured using differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analyzer. The fabric properties such as tensile strength, water absorption, and abrasion resistance were also studied. The average diameter of the nanocapsules was found to be 256 nm. The latent heat energy storage capacity of the fabric containing 20 and 40 wt.% nanocapsules was 1.52 and 1.91 J/g, respectively.