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A team of researchers from China and Australia has developed a new purple cooling fabric that could help people stay comfortable during intense summer heat, offering an alternative to the usual advice of wearing white.<\/strong><\/p>\n Tests show the innovative fabric can remain up to 6.2\u00b0C cooler than standard purple cotton in direct sunlight, raising the possibility of a new wave of clothing designed to help people cope with extreme heat.<\/span><\/p>\n The project, led by Zhengzhou University with support from the University of Adelaide, addresses a longstanding challenge: creating colored clothing that can actually keep wearers cool. The findings appear in the journal Small.<\/span><\/p>\n Most cooling fabrics are white because they reflect sunlight away from the body. Darker colors soak up more of the sun\u2019s energy, so they are harder to keep cool. Purple is especially difficult because it absorbs green light, which is one of the strongest parts of sunlight.<\/span><\/p>\n Professor Jun Ma from Adelaide University said the team wanted to show that people do not have to give up color to stay cool.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cOur research shows that we can have both. We can make a fabric that looks purple, but at the same time reflects most of the sun\u2019s energy and releases heat very efficiently,\u201d Ma said.<\/span><\/p>\n To make the fabric, the team used tiny fibers that include a purple material known as a metal-organic framework, along with zinc oxide nanoparticles. Together, these ingredients help the fabric reflect nearly 88% of sunlight while still allowing body heat to escape.<\/span><\/p>\n When tested outdoors in direct sunlight, the new purple fabric stayed 4.2\u00b0C cooler than commercial white cotton and 6.2\u00b0C cooler than regular purple cotton. In tests using simulated skin, the fabric kept the surface up to 8\u00b0C cooler than bare skin.<\/span><\/p>\n Yangzhe Hou, a co-author from the University of Adelaide, said this technology could one day help outdoor workers and athletes. Unlike many other experimental materials, the new fabric is light, stretchable, breathable, and repels water. It also keeps its cooling ability after 50 washes.<\/span><\/p>\n