IP Library Granted Patent US 12686812
Granted Patent B2
US 12686812 · App. 18/282,375 · Granted Jul 21, 2026

Composite electrochromic material, and preparation method therefor and application thereof

Inventors: Yuqing Liu (Jiangsu, CN); Qin Li (Jiangsu, CN); Jian Fang (Jiangsu, CN)
Assignees: NANTONG TEXTILE & SILK IND TECH RES INST; SOOCHOW UNIVERSITY
C09K9/02C01B32/174D01D5/08D01D5/24D01D5/34D01F8/06D01F8/10D01F8/16D01F8/18D06M11/74D06M11/83B82Y30/00C01B2202/06C01B2202/34C01B2202/36C09K2211/1425C09K2211/1433D06M2101/20D06M2101/24D06M2101/30D06M2200/00D10B2321/02D10B2321/06D10B2331/14D10B2401/20
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12686812
App. No.
18/282,375
Granted
Jul 21, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A composite electrochromic material, a preparation method therefor and an application thereof, the material comprising a core layer, a skin layer having an electrochromic function, and a light-transmitting protective layer formed by a flexible polymer material, that are arranged in sequence. The material of the core layer comprises a fluid conductive mixture, which comprises liquid metal and carboxylated carbon nanotubes. The preparation method comprises: carrying out spinning by co-extrusion using a three-channel nozzle to form hollow double-layer fibers each having a skin layer and a protective layer as well as a cavity, injecting the conductive mixture into the cavity of the hollow double-layer fiber. The material has excellent deformation ability, stable and sensitive color changing function, and a controllable deformation degree. The material has a stable color changing function even in the case of severe deformation, good fatigue resistance, and is suitable for the preparation of intelligent textiles.

Claims (20)

1 . A composite electrochromic material, wherein, the composite electrochromic material comprises a core layer, a skin layer coating on the core layer and having an electrochromic function, and a light-transmitting protective layer formed by a flexible polymer material and coating on the skin layer, the core layer comprises a conductive mixture fluid, wherein the conductive mixture fluid comprises liquid metal and carboxylated carbon nanotubes.

2 . The composite electrochromic material according to claim 1 , wherein, a mass ratio of the carboxylated carbon nanotubes to the liquid metal is (2-5): 100.

3 . The composite electrochromic material according to claim 1 , wherein, the carboxylated carbon nanotubes have a length of 15-30 μm, an inner diameter of 6-10 nm, and an outer diameter of 12-20 nm.

4 . The composite electrochromic material according to claim 1 , wherein, a mass ratio of the carboxylated carbon nanotubes to the liquid metal is (2-5):100, and the carboxylated carbon nanotubes have a length of 15-30 μm, an inner diameter of 6-10 nm, and an outer diameter of 12-20 nm.

5 . The composite electrochromic material according to claim 1 , wherein, the carboxylated carbon nanotubes are carboxylated multi-walled carbon nanotubes.

6 . The composite electrochromic material according to claim 1 , wherein, the liquid metal is a fluid mixture comprising gallium, indium and tin, with a melting point of ≤16° C. and a viscosity of 0.0014-0.0023 Pa*s at 20° C.

7 . The composite electrochromic material according to claim 1 , wherein, the light-transmitting protective layer has an outer diameter of 0.8-1.1 mm and a thickness of 0.2-0.4 mm.

8 . The composite electrochromic material according to claim 1 , wherein, the skin layer has an outer diameter of 0.5-0.7 mm and a thickness of 0.2-0.3 mm.

9 . The composite electrochromic material according to claim 1 , wherein, the core layer has a diameter of 0.3-0.5 mm.

10 . The composite electrochromic material according to claim 1 , wherein, the skin layer has an optical contrast percentage of 40-60% and a color brightness during stretching of 0.80-0.95; the optical contrast percentage is measured by an optical contrast measurement method according to HG/T 4951-2016, and the color brightness during stretching is measured by a visual colorimetry according to GB/T6749-1997.

11 . The composite electrochromic material according to claim 1 , wherein, the skin layer is an organic electrochromic material or an inorganic electrochromic material.

12 . The composite electrochromic material according to claim 1 , wherein, the skin layer consists of polyvinyl alcohol and an organic electrochromic material and/or an inorganic electrochromic material, with a mass ratio of the polyvinyl alcohol to the organic electrochromic material and/or the inorganic electrochromic material of (0.5-1):1.

13 . The composite electrochromic material according to claim 12 , wherein, the polyvinyl alcohol has a weight-average molecular weight of 72,600-81,400, and the organic electrochromic material is polyaniline with a weight-average molecular weight of 55,000-60,000.

14 . The composite electrochromic material according to claim 1 , wherein, the light-transmitting protective layer is a polyolefin material with an elastic elongation of 300-500%, an elastic recovery rate of 97-99% and a softening temperature of greater than 200° C.

15 . A method for preparing the composite electrochromic material according to claim 1 , wherein, the preparation method comprises the following steps:

(1) drying a raw material of the skin layer, the and a raw material of the light-transmitting protective layer, respectively;

(2) melting the raw material of the skin layer and the raw material of the light-transmitting protective layer dried in step (1) in a screw extruder, and spinning by co-extrusion method using a three-channel nozzle to make a hollow double-layer fiber with a cavity;

(3) injecting the conductive mixture into the cavity of the hollow double-layer fiber to make the composite electrochromic material.

16 . The method for preparing the composite electrochromic material according to claim 15 , wherein, in step (2), the temperature of melting is 300-350° C.; in step (3), injecting is carried out using a syringe, a needle of the syringe is inserted into the cavity of the hollow double-layer fiber, and two ends of the fiber are heated to shrink and prevent leakage.

17 . An intelligent textile, wherein, the intelligent textile comprises the composite electrochromic material according to claim 1 .