Effect of micro phase change materials on the thermal behavior of leather

Abstract

Today, scientists are interested in the manufacturing and invention of smart textiles such as phase change materials (PCMs). The process of phase change from solid to liquid and vice versa takes place in such materials. Using materials such as PCM could change the properties of leather for better performance, and could be applied to many places such as the shoe industry. The background of the study is that using PCMs could increase thermoregulating properties of materials. For finishing leather with PCMs, several methods were suggested such as spraying, tanning, laminating, etc. In this study, first impregnated leather with 5% and 10% of PCM by spray technic are prepared and characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Finally, water vapor permeability and physical properties of the samples were analyzed for an understanding of leather comfort. The results reveal that after impregnating with 10% PCMs, significant effects on the thermal behavior of samples were observed, and this finishing had no effect on the comfort of leather.