ABSTRACT

Thermoresponsive hydrogels have been studied in the past as self-healing and ultra-porous materials. Single-network (SN) and double-network (DN) hydrogels were synthesised in this research using acrylamide, acrylic acid, and alginate. Nano reinforcements were added only to increase the mechanical strength which is reported up to 300%. These DN hydrogels showed brilliant cooling performance showing 8–12°C lesser in a coated house for over 7 h with a single hydration cycle. Tough hydrogels were tested under direct sunlight on wooden and brick houses during the summer of Pakistan, where a 10–20°C temperature difference was reported. Thermographs and FTIR spectra showed that the ionic and covalent crosslinkers were responsible for the excellent robustness. DN hydrogel gave better strength and cooling effectiveness for a longer period than SN hydrogels. Carbon emission and electricity consumption can be reduced using DN hydrogels. These hydrogels can aid the industry of smart buildings and passive cooling.

摘要

热响应水凝胶过去曾被研究为自修复和超多孔材料。本研究中使用丙烯酰胺、丙烯酸和藻酸盐合成了单网络 (SN) 和双网络 (DN) 水凝胶。添加纳米增强材料只是为了将机械强度提高到 300%。这些 DN 水凝胶显示出出色的冷却性能，在单次水化循环中，在有涂层的房屋中超过 7 小时，冷却性能降低 8-12°C。坚韧的水凝胶在巴基斯坦夏季的木屋和砖房上进行了阳光直射下的测试，据报道，那里的温差为 10-20°C。热像图和 FTIR 光谱表明，离子和共价交联剂是实现出色稳健性的原因。DN 水凝胶比 SN 水凝胶在更长的时间内提供更好的强度和冷却效果。使用 DN 水凝胶可以减少碳排放和电力消耗。这些水凝胶可以帮助智能建筑和被动冷却行业。