Hot summers sound good when you are on a beach vacation. But, lying on your couch in the living room, you hate the heat waves passing into the house. So, heat reflective technology bumped into our lives and changed the scenario completely. Have you heard of breathable heat reflective fabric? What do you think it is made up of?
The main manufacturing component is non-conductive materials like aluminum and others. Have you seen firemen wearing jackets with no fear of heat? It is because the materials in their jackets are heavily insulated and hence they don’t catch heat easily. Metal and concrete are the building materials of firewalls. While if you intend to build heat-resistant walls, simply build thicker walls.
Are you curious to know from where the heat reflection concept came? It came into existence as a consequence of NASA space experiments. For this reason, the most well-known consumer application of the technology is referred to as a ‘space blanket’. The working of a regular blanket is based on temperature regulation between a warm item and a cold item (between the human body and night air).
In simple words, heat radiation flow is minimized. However, the same effects are generated by space blankets even being thinner. Space blankets reflect the heat from the warm body back to the body and hence low volume of heat is released into the air. Another example of breathable heat reflective fabric is aluminum metalized thin film blankets. Other examples include laminate fabric and non-laminated fabrics.
Use of breathable heat reflective fabric
The use of breathable heat reflective fabric varies from industry to industry but the function is the same as space blankets. Different industries are looking forward to such technology to protect products or areas from high temperatures or low temperatures, in some cases, from both temperatures.
- Heat insulation at home
You usually witness heat reflective fabric in space blankets or winter coats. Earlier, aluminum foil laminated fabric was installed under the roof or on the floor to assist heat reflection in all seasons as needed. When aluminum foil later fails as a breathable heat reflective fabric, the aluminum film (e.g. Mylar) laminated fabric is used.
How does aluminum foil and film laminated fabric differ in being heat reflective fabrics? The aluminum film laminated fabric is more fire safe and has low electric conduction capacity.
However, various products began to delaminate since the lamination between the plastic films and plastic fabrics was not always a strong bond with time.
- Use in industries, while manufacturing heat-resistant products
In the electronic industry and construction companies, there is a high demand for heat reflective fabric. These requirements can be anything from inexpensive building insulation to the downsizing of exposed parts to protecting machines or rooms from external temperatures. Compared to other materials, a heat-reflective fabric coating can result in significant space savings.
Do you have a hot tub at home? Can you examine its internal motor? You will notice that this small motor is designed to increase the water temperature and then keep it constant at 104 Fahrenheit. Small size is preferable as the motor must fit in a tiny space among pipelines, pumps, and other components. A heat reflective fabric is added post the wall paneling along with the fiberglass or foam filler to reflect the heat back inside and prevent it from escaping, considerably increasing the hot tub’s energy efficiency.
- Applications in Shipping
Even the most cutting-edge technology still needs to travel from A to B before the customer accepts delivery, and this journey most frequently takes place in a delivery truck or shipping container. Cargoes that are sensitive to heat and cold must be shipped in packaging that shields them from high external temperatures.
For example, installing heat reflective fabric on the sides of a refrigerated shipping container offers protection of the contents, and enables efficient temperature regulation to maintain a temperature between -30 degrees Celsius to 40-degree Celsius. Moreover, heat reflective fabric is installed on food packages to keep them frozen for a two-day ship time.
Regardless of the application, materials that reflect heat have the special capacity to block between ninety-five percent and ninety-seven percent of the infrared heat from penetrating the container and heating the contents. Further, compared to other forms of insulation, heat-reflective materials are significantly lighter and smaller in size.
- Protective Clothing
Did you know that field biologists, astronauts, firemen, and industrial laborers all work in settings that are hotter than what is normally tolerable for humans? A Fire Approach Suit can resist temperatures of up to 200 Fahrenheit and a Fire Proximity Suit can tolerate temperatures of up to 500 Fahrenheit by using a breathable heat reflective fabric. The industry standard for these types of clothes is aluminum foil laminates and metalized aluminum thin films, and no big manufacturer produces them without reflectors.
Take Away!
Material that stays cool in heat like aluminum foil is widely used in all kinds of heat reflective products. However, variations do exist. When you are planning to buy heat-absorbing material for room, try to do complete research on the available products.
Which heat absorbing material for room is best?
Material that stays cool in heat: Aluminum foil Versus White Paint