Based on active heating materials (the phase change microcapsules (microPCMs)) and passive insulating materials (SiO2 aerogel), a new-type multilayer low temperature protective composite fabric (MPF) was designed and manufactured to meet the demands of protection and operation in a short time under a low-temperature environment. Results showed that the MPF consisted of three layers including the fabric layer, the microPCM function layer, and the SiO2 aerogel thermal insulation layer. The differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) results demonstrated that the phase transition enthalpy of the composite was 96.2 J/g during the cooling process. The low-temperature resistance and thermal insulation performance at -50 °C were investigated. The results also demonstrated that the low-temperature resistance time of the MPF was 660 s and the power consumption of the MPFs needed to maintain 37 °C for 10 and 20 min were 629 J and 1872 J, respectively. Compared with the microPCM function layer and the thermal insulation layer, which have the same thickness as the MPF, the low-temperature resistance time of the MPF was prolonged for about 2 and 3 min, respectively. The MPF could provide effective protection of the low-temperature work in a short time and could be applied as potential materials in low-temperature protection.
Keywords: SiO2 aerogel; low-temperature protective; phase change microcapsules; the composite fabric.