Fur, Polar Bears and a New Fabric for the Cold

👩‍🔬🪡 ☃️ In 2023, scientists created a fabric that mimics the structure of the polar bear’s hair – it’s 5 times thinner than a winter jacket but will keep you warm just the same! 

Polar Bear’s Hair🐻‍❄️

💠hollow inside, covered by a dense shell 

💠semi-transparent (transluscent) 

💠☀️Some sunlight hitting the hair is reflected (seen as the fur’s white colour), but the majority gets absorbed and travels to the bear’s black skin🌚. 

💠Heat from light is absorbed by the skin and doesn’t go back into the air.

Electron microscopy images of cross-sections of a polar bear's hair (right) and created fabric (left). Credit: Wu et al, Science 2023

Under the Microscope🔎

Each hair is comprised of many air pores💭 – this deters transfer of heat away from the bear 

🧥🧶The textile fibers were made in the same shape, thus being effective thermal insulators. They can be knitted, washed, dyed and derived from renewable sources. 

Mechanism of heat insulation of polar bear's hair is similar to that of the new fabric. Credit: physicsworld.com

SO WHAT❔❓

Biomimicry – creating innovations that imitate natural processes🍀. 

Nature offers limitless ideas, which can help solve humanity’s problems much faster, promote sustainability and re-connect humans with other inhabitants of the Earth. 

Apart from textiles, the polar bear’s hair can inspire advanced building insulation🏙️ and solar steam generators🌞💨.

References:

1. https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/polar-bear-inspired-material-could-be-the-future-of-insulating-textiles/4018816.article

2. https://physicsworld.com/a/polar-bear-fur-inspires-solar-thermal-textiles/

3. https://asknature.org/strategy/fur-absorbs-infrared-radiation-to-prevent-heat-loss/