Polypropylene-based phase change films with enhanced optical properties achieved by hydrophilic coating for remarkable cooling performance

Heat waves, increasing in frequency, pose significant risks to human health and economic stability. Traditional personal cooling technologies, such as Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems, are energy-intensive and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, necessitating the development of energy-efficient alternatives. Radiative cooling fabrics (RCFs) could be an ideal method for personal thermal management, while conventional petroleum-based fabrics exhibit low reflectivity and emissivity, limiting their cooling performance. This research introduces hybrid cooling films by incorporating phase change capsules (PCCs) into polypropylene (PP) films treated with a lysozyme-phytic acid coating to enhance hydrophilicity. The resulting RCFs demonstrated significantly improved reflectivity, emissivity and a high latent heat of 108.63 J/g, achieving a cooling performance of 4.62 °C. These findings highlight a scalable approach for manufacturing advanced textiles, contributing to more efficient thermal management strategies in response to rising global temperatures.