Adaptive fabrics with selective permeability and their uses

Abstract

The field of the DISCLOSURE lies in adaptive materials for implementation in textiles, wearables and smart clothing. The present disclosure relates to functional fabrics or devices, comprising fabrics or fiber-based materials with selective reversible permeability or which reversibly change permeability upon stimulation with at least one external stimulus selected from humidity, temperature, electrical, magnetic, pH, and chemicals. The present disclosure also relates to the use of said functional fabrics or devices, in particular as humidity sensors, temperature sensors, for humidity and/or heat management of clothing or of textiles for home, as well as for outside purposes. The present disclosure also relates to wearable electronics, smart thermo-regulating clothing or textiles and Nsport bandages. The present disclosure also relates to devices comprising a sheet-like substrate and temperature responsive materials N applied thereon, respective printed actuators and their uses as shape changing interfaces.

1 . A functional fabric or device, comprising fabrics or fiber-based materials with selective reversible permeability or which reversibly change permeability upon stimulation with at least one external stimulus selected from humidity, temperature, electrical (voltage, field or charge), magnetic, pH, and chemicals,
 wherein preferably said fabric or device has different states it reversibly changes in between in dependence on said external stimulus, such as two states, e.g.
 a state with open pores/permeable areas and a state with closed pores/non-permeable areas (open-close), 
 a state where it is soft and a state where it is hard (soft-hard), 
 a state where it has more grip and a state where it has less grip. 
   
     
     
         2 . The fabric or device of  claim 1 , wherein said fabric or fiber-based material comprises
 humidity and/or temperature responsive material(s),   which are woven or knitted   with a pattern which, in response to said external stimulus, results in a variable pore size or in open or closed pores.   
     
     
         3 . The fabric or device of  claim 1 , wherein said fabric or fiber-based material comprises a pattern incorporated therein,
 wherein said pattern is made via local coating or lamination of the fabrics with the humidity and/or temperature responsive material(s),   
       and wherein said pattern reversibly opens in response to humidity and/or heat. 
     
     
         4 . The fabric or device of  claim 1 , wherein said fabric or fiber-based material comprises
 humidity and/or temperature responsive material(s),   which comprise a double layer of materials having different hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity or thermal expansion properties,   wherein preferably multiple double layers form a multi-layer stack.   
     
     
         5 . The fabric or device of  claim 1 , wherein said humidity and/or temperature responsive material is a thermo-moisture responsive ionic polymer, which reversibly absorbs water and swells and expands in the direction of moisture, thereby opening the patterned openings,
 wherein preferably its swelling ratio increases with temperature at the same absolute humidity,
 said polymer having a hydrophobic backbone and hydrophilic side chains, such as a hydrophobic polytetrafluorethylenebackbone and hydrophilic perfluoroether sulphonic acid side chains (—SO3H) 
   
       preferably a sulfonated tetrafluoroethylene based fluoropolymer-copolymer, e.g. 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
     
     
         6 . The fabric or device of  claim 1 , wherein the patterned openings are furthermore electrical response-controllable by incorporating electronic components. 
     
     
         7 . The fabric or device of  claim 1 , wherein said humidity and/or temperature responsive material is a thermo-moisture responsive ionic polymer,
 wherein the surface of said polymer is chemically plated or physically coated with conductive material(s), such as noble metals (e.g. Pt or Au), forming an ionic polymer-metal composite (IPMC), which undergoes a bending deformation under an applied voltage.   
     
     
         8 . The fabric or device of  claim 7 , furthermore comprising electrodes on top of the conductive material(s),
 wherein said electrodes are arranged in a non-symmetric configuration and the applied voltage induces non-symmetric bending deformation, such as twisting, rolling, torsion, turning, twirling, whirling,   thereby opening the patterned openings.   
     
     
         9 . The fabric or device of  claim 1 , wherein said fabric or fiber-based material comprises a pattern incorporated therein,
 wherein said pattern is made via local coating, 3D printing or lamination of the fabrics with magnetic-based materials or sheets, such as magnetic filaments,   
       and wherein said pattern reversibly opens in response to a magnetic field, i.e. controlling the permeability of the fabric or device by using magnetic field. 
     
     
         10 . Use of a fabric or device of  claim 1 ,
 as humidity sensor,   as temperature sensor,   for humidity and/or heat management of clothing, preferably for improved wellbeing,   as sport bandage, which preferably adapts in shape, mechanical support and breathability during healing,   for humidity and/or heat management of textiles for home,   for humidity and/or heat management for outside purposes, such as in agriculture, and/or   for outdoor purposes, such as tents.   
     
     
         11 . A humidity and/or temperature sensor, comprising
 a fabric or device according to  claim 1 , and   electronics, such as a resistivity or mechanical displacement sensor with circuit components, e.g. a battery or the like.   
     
     
         12 . Wearable electronics or smart clothing or smart thermo-regulating clothing or textiles, comprising a fabric or device according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         13 . A sport bandage, comprising
 a fabric or device according to  claim 1 ,   wherein the fabric or device optionally is furthermore breathable and supports cooling,   
       wherein the sport bandage preferably adapts in shape and mechanical support during healing. 
     
     
         14 . An agricultural fabric or covering, comprising
 a fabric or device according to  claim 1 ,   agricultural agent(s), such as nutrient(s),   
       wherein rainfall or irrigation stimulates release of the agricultural agent(s), and wherein said agricultural fabric or covering is placed in or on top of soil or at the bottom of soil, such as after sowing. 
     
     
         15 . An outdoor fabric or covering, such as a tent, comprising a fabric or device according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 1 , comprising
 a sheet-like substrate, such as fabrics, paper, card or plastic foils,   temperature responsive material(s) applied to the sheet-like substrate, which is preferably a layer of conductive material, preferably printed onto the substrate,   wherein the temperature responsive conductive material (s) is/are preferably applied with a pattern onto the substrate.   
     
     
         17 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein the temperature responsive material is a conductive filament, such as conductive polylactide (PLA) filament,
 applied with a pattern, which, in response to increased temperature or heat, results in bending thereby opening the pores, and which, in response to decreased temperature (such as room temperature), results in flattening thereby closing pores.   
     
     
         18 . The device of  claim 16 , wherein the temperature responsive material is a conductive composite filament, such as graphene PLA composite filament,
 applied with a pattern, which, in response to increased temperature or heat and/or removing power or voltage, results in bending thereby opening the pores, and which, in response to power or voltage applied, results in flattening thereby closing pores.   
     
     
         19 . A printed actuator, comprising
 A fabric or device according to  claim 1 .   
     
     
         20 . Use of device of  claim 16   being embedded in everyday objects,   as shape changing interfaces.