A US start-up has developed a new thermally responsive fabric which, in response to temperature, can expand in thickness to be more insulating in colder weather. It has taken five years and two grants from the US Department of Energy for Skyscrape Inc., to develop the material’s functionality, said to be enabled using a “new type of yarn”.
Company Founder and CEO Brent Ridley, PhD, studied chemistry and materials science at MIT and along these lines started to develop the innovative material. Without batteries, wires or sensors, the fabric is said to respond to atmospheric temperature and can create pockets of air to better insulate the wearer. Otherwise, the fabric remains flat and can be worn as a lighter jacket in warmer conditions.
With the first-of-its-kind fabric now deployed in a jacket, the company can promise customers versatility whatever the weather. The company’s product design team is now finalising designs for Skyscrape’s 2020 collection and is said to be in discussions with leading apparel brands regarding collaborations using the technology.
