New polar bear-inspired jumper keeps wearer warm in extreme cold at fraction of thickness

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Scientists have developed a new fiber inspired by the structure of polar bear fur that they say can be knitted into a jumper to shield wearers from extreme cold.

The fiber is washable, durable, and can protects wearers from the cold at a fraction of the thickness needed for conventional sweaters, researchers from the Chinese Academy of Sciences say.

Tests revealed that the knittable fiber made of aerogel – a class of ultralightweight material – can provide exceptional thermal insulation. The results were published in the journal Science on Thursday.

Animals living in extreme cold environments, such as the Arctic and the Antarctic, have evolved specialised furs that keep them warm and dry.

For instance, a polar bear’s pelt is made of a porous core enclosed within a dense shell structure.

Studies have shown that the bear’s fur provides outstanding thermal insulation while maintaining strength and flexibility.

In the new study, scientists mimicked this core-shell structure of polar bear fur.

They created a strong polymeric aerogel fiber called EAF with pores that were encapsulated by a thin, stretchable rubber layer.

The resulting fiber had excellent thermal insulation performance while also being mechanically robust, making it suitable for knitting or weaving.

It was also found to be washable and dyeable, the study noted.

Researchers found that the fiber is stretchable up to 1,000 per cent strain, which they say is a significant improvement compared to traditional fibers that only achieves ~2 per cent strain.

The thermal insulation properties saw minimal impact even after 10,000 repeated stretching cycles at 100 per cent strain., the study found.

In subsequent tests, scientists wove a thin sweater made from the fibers, and found that even when it was roughly one-fifth as thick as a down jacket, it provided comparable insulating performance.

The findings suggest the possibility for further development of multifunctional fibers that can also be produced at scale using simple processes.