Balancing Comfort and Protection in Clothing: Cool, Dry, and Safe in Harsh Environments

Clothing for personal protection can seriously compromise the comfort of a person and his physical and psychological states. New materials with smart moisture and heat management need to be integrated into clothing for better local and individual thermoregulation.
Textiles can be functionalized with passive and active cooling mechanisms, the latter having greater cooling power if they rely on an external power supply. While the least amount of studies is done on active moisture management for cooling in clothing, sweat removal is equally important as temperature, especially in cases such as military uniforms, where less permeable, protective outer layers must be worn. This study includes developing textile systems for efficient sweat removal in situations where it is restricted through clothing or the environment, by utilizing the electroosmotic effect.