A new purple fabric has stayed cooler than white cotton in sunlight, despite its dark colour. After a full day in direct sunlight, the material has remained about 4.2°C cooler than white cotton and about 6.2°C cooler than traditional purple cotton. The fabric is still in the early stages of development, with workwear among its possible practical applications for people who spend long hours outdoors.
- Black fabrics absorb significantly more solar energy than white fabrics, which are among the best options for limiting heat absorption.
- Scientists from China and Australia have developed a new type of purple fabric at Zhengzhou University and the University of Adelaide.
- The paper 'An Electrospun Purple Fabric for Personal Thermal Management', by Yidan Yang and colleagues, was published in Small in 2026.
THE STUDY: The fabric was woven from fibres of thermoplastic polyurethane, a plastic that softens when heated. Electrospinning, a technique that uses electrical forces to form fibres, was applied to a mixture containing zinc oxide nanoparticles (tiny particles) and the purple metal-organic framework ZIF-67, a structure of metal ions linked by organic molecules.
- The authors were Yidan Yang, Haoran Cheng, Yangzhe Hou, Yamin Pan, Bo Wang, Chuntai Liu, Changyu Shen, Jun Ma, Guangming Tao and Xianhu Liu.
- Testing included repeated washing and accelerated ageing, with the latter simulating intense exposure to sunlight to assess changes in the fabric’s effectiveness.
WORTH NOTING: The purple metal-organic framework absorbs green light and gives the fabric its colour. Zinc oxide reflects solar radiation and aids heat dissipation, or the release of heat.
- Bedouins in the deserts of North Africa traditionally wear black clothing without necessarily overheating because garment temperature also depends on fabric and cut.
- In extreme heat, even a relatively small reduction in the body’s heat load can make a significant difference to one’s health.
- The material is flexible. After 50 washes, the fabric has retained both its rich purple colour and its cooling properties.
- Scientists and industry seek better protection from the heat through clothing. Amid increasingly frequent heat waves, such materials could help adapt clothing to warmer climates.
- The fabric has shown no significant decline in effectiveness after accelerated ageing tests simulating about 108 days of intense exposure to sunlight.
WHAT THEY SAID
Traditionally, we had to choose between cooling properties and appearance. […] We can create a fabric that looks purple but at the same time reflects most of the sun’s energy and dissipates heat very effectively.
— Jun Ma
Materials engineer and study author
University of Adelaide
