SBIR Phase I: Second Skin: 3D Microfluidics-Enabled Fabric for Perspiration Management

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project includes the development of a next-generation high-performance fabric for removing and managing perspiration on human body using 3D microfluidics. The development of this project enables highly breathable, lightweight, and never-saturated apparels and fabric products targeted at controlled moisture management in a wide range of real-world applications. In the foreseeable future, it can be applied to sports apparel for professional athletes and intensive exercises, high-humidity protective clothing for warehouse workers, and special garments for extreme working conditions (e.g., astronauts, firefighters, soldiers, and miners), contributing to both performance and safety aspects. Importantly, the 3D microfluidics-enabled fabric can be manufactured at a reasonable cost and sold for a competitive price in the high-performance apparel market with enormous advantages over the existing products, where the gross profit can be at least 50%. This project aims at solving the current problems of moisture-management fabric which utilizes the long-standing principle of capillary absorption and performs poorly during heavy perspiration. The saturation of the fabric by moisture lead to uncomfortableness, overheat and fatigue of body in intensive physical activities. The proposed 3D microfluidic fabric solves this problem by rapidly directing and removing the sweat from skin to desired locations using embedded microchannels, while maintaining the rest area dry and gas-permeable. Research will be conducted on the industrial scalable manufacture of this fabric, characterization of its performance in heavy perspiration management compared with conventional products and wear trials for validation on human body. A functional manufacturing-ready prototype of the 3D microfluidic-enabled fabric that is more vapor permeable, lightweight, dry and comfortable under heavy perspiration is expected upon the completion of Phase I.