Chinese scientists have recently succeeded in developing a new type of silk fabric based on nanofibres derived from this natural material, distinguished by its ability to reflect approximately 95% of sunlight while absorbing almost no ultraviolet rays.
As reported by Russia's TASS news agency, the journal Nature Sustainability noted that fabrics made from this material reduce skin temperature by 4.3 degrees Celsius in extremely hot weather, compared with clothing made from conventional silk.
The researchers said: "The continuous rise in global temperatures has driven us to develop new textiles that help people adapt to intense heat. Natural silk does not serve this purpose adequately, as it does not reflect sunlight efficiently and absorbs ultraviolet rays. We therefore created a nano fabric based on braided silk fibres that overcomes these limitations."
The innovation is the work of a team of scientists led by Professor Zhang Yingying of Tsinghua University in Beijing, as part of a project aimed at improving the properties of natural biopolymers and developing environmentally friendly materials.
The team succeeded in modifying the optical properties of silk through a special weaving strategy that controls the thickness and structure of the surface, enabling the "nano silk" to reflect visible sunlight more efficiently and reduce ultraviolet absorption.