Follow the animal and plant "stealing the teacher" to make functional clothing

Animals and plants have the ability to adapt to the external environment, which makes them more viable. Scientists have been inspired to apply this adaptability of plants and animals to the development of clothing. For example, British scientists have discovered that the scaly leaves of the pine cone are effective against moisture. When the atmospheric humidity drops, the scaly leaves of the pine cone will open to "breath" and close again when the humidity rises. Based on this, British scientists have developed moisture-proof protective clothing using man-made fiber systems and structures similar to the pine tower structure.

In the cold-proof field, the cold-proof suit can prevent heat dissipation in a low-temperature environment, but its warmth is achieved by the material and thickness of the garment. For many years, the winter clothes have always been made of animal fur and natural fiber as the main warming materials. These materials are not only inconvenient, but also have poor cold resistance. Since the 1960s, due to the development of the chemical fiber industry, many industrially developed countries have begun to use synthetic fiber as the main warming material for cold-proof clothing. These thermal insulation materials made of synthetic fibers are characterized by light weight, high elasticity, compression resistance and heat preservation.

Now, with the help of high-power electron microscopy, American scientists have uncovered the mystery that polar bears are not afraid of cold. The polar bears have an empty tubular structure in the middle of the hair, which is different from the hair of tigers, lions, bears and sheep. This structure makes each hair equivalent to a tiny "light pipe." This kind of "light pipe" can let the outside ultraviolet rays penetrate and block the heat inside, which not only has good heat preservation, but also has the effect of increasing temperature. The polar bear has this special "leather coat", of course, not afraid of the cold and cool winter. As this mystery is uncovered, American scientists naturally want to use the skin of polar bears to make winter clothes. However, the number of polar bears is scarce, and it is also the protection of animals. It is difficult to hunt and not kill. So the scientists developed an artificial hollow fiber based on the structure of the polar bear hair. This kind of fiber is empty in the middle, light in weight, high in elasticity and good in heat preservation. Therefore, it is also called "artificial down", and the winter clothes made with it are born.

At present, the world's lightest winter clothes are the "Arctic clothes" developed by the British in recent years. This kind of clothes will not feel particularly cold even if people are at rest under the condition of minus 40 ° C to minus 50 ° C. The weight of the full set of winter clothes is no more than one kilogram, but this kind of clothes is mainly equipped for the army. Not long ago, the United Kingdom had done an actual cold-resistant test. Two expedition members dressed in the "Arctic suit", without any heating equipment, stayed in the snow cave of Everest, the world's highest peak, and stayed in the night for safety.

The UK has also recently exhibited a new type of winter clothing. This kind of winter clothing is divided into three layers. The inner layer is composed of lightweight tops and trousers. All of them are heated by segmental current. The temperature can be adjusted according to the needs. The middle layer is the thermal insulation layer, which has good thermal insulation capacity. The outer layer is protective layer. It can prevent damage from nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, and it can also protect against wind, rain, snow, and certain anti-infrared light.

There is also another powered military uniform that uses a microclimate and power unit to cool down with a backpack-type lightweight cooling system that maintains the wearer's 4-hour heat balance for comfort. The wearer is equivalent to a small climate, the temperature can be adjusted with the area, and the sensor attached to the new military uniform allows the soldiers to understand their physical condition and facilitate concealment. Soldiers' belts are fitted with two batteries that can power the soldiers' systems for 12 hours.

The United States is still developing a new type of underwater battle suit. Soldiers can wear it to swim freely and comfortably like a fish. This kind of clothes can automatically adjust the temperature according to the environment, even in the cold winter. It can also keep the diver's body temperature.