MIT Rohsenow Kendall Heat Transfer Laboratory | Svetlana Boriskina
Cambridge, MA
January-August 2022
helloThis research project was focused on theoretically and empirically characterizing the thermal and elastocaloric properties of polyethylene (PE) yarns for use in smart textiles.
As an undergraduate research assistant, I conducted thorough literature review, aided in the design and component selection for the development of custom test equipment, and developed a molecular dynamics simulation using LAMMPS and VMD simulation software to module PE under deformation.
helloThe goal of this project was to determine the ways in which PE and PE composites can be manipulated through molecular composition, twisting, and stretching to achieve useful thermal and elastocaloric effects that can potentially be used in smart textiles, such as in compression shirts for athletic wear.
Initially, this project was based on a 2019 Science article titled “Torsional refrigeration by twisted, coiled, and supercoiled fibers,” in which a group of scientists explore the possibility of using entropy changes during cycles of stretching or hydrostatic compression of a solid as an alternative to vapor-compression refrigerators. The data presented in this article looks promising
for measuring the thermal and elastocaloric properties of different polymers, such as natural rubber and nylon. Thus, the group believes their methods of experimentation may be applicable to PE yarns as well.
The plan was to first replicate the experiments conducted in the “Torsional refrigeration by twisted, coiled, and supercoiled fibers” study. This would help determine the applicability of their testing methods to PE yarns and would serve as a tool for calibration of the equipment that will be used. As the testing environment, equipment, and materials continue to be prepared for experimentation, research progresses through literature reviews that explain the molecular-level changes that occur in PE yarns due to twisting, untwisting, and stretching. From partial phase changes to stress-strain properties, understanding these changes is crucial for explaining the thermal and elastocaloric properties of PE yarns.
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