Flaxseeds gel as a bio-hosting material for organic PCM to improve the thermoregulating properties of cotton fabric

Abstract Flaxseed gum (FSG) comprises neutral and acidic polysaccharides. Research shows that flaxseed gums with high arabinoxylan concentration have shear thinning and weak gel-like properties, whereas those with high acidic monosaccharides have decreased rheology. FT-IR and DSC tests described a bio-PCM composite made from flaxseed gum and fatty acid anhydrides. The study examined how fatty acid type affects bio-synthesized composite materials made from flaxseeds and various fatty acids with and without octadecane as phase transition materials. In the final composite structure, the fatty acid backbone lengthened, increasing the host material’s latent heat. As phase transition material, 20% octadecane yielded best results. Polymer-based materials (PCM) are used to make bio-synthesized composite materials from flaxseeds and stearic acid. Latent heat of host materials increases with PCM content, optimum at 20% octadecane. The treated cotton cloth regulates temperature better than the untreated. The study shows that PCM composite material treatment creates a homogenous thin coating on cotton fiber surfaces, improving thermal characteristics and heat retention.