# Foam Rubber-Based Three-Layer Flexible Composite for High-Efficiency Infrared Stealth and Joule Heating

## TL;DR

This paper introduces a three-layer flexible composite material inspired by penguin anatomy that offers infrared stealth and thermal regulation for wearable applications.

## Contribution

The novel three-layer composite material combines MXene, foam rubber, and phase change microcapsules for infrared stealth and thermal management.

## Key findings

- The MXene/WPU conductive film has low infrared emissivity and Joule heating performance.
- The foam rubber layer provides excellent thermal insulation and deformation recovery in multiple directions.
- The PCM/WPU film enables dynamic thermal regulation with a phase change enthalpy of 154.3 J/g.

## Abstract

With the rapid development of infrared detection methods and military surveillance technologies, flexible and wearable infrared stealth materials (ISM) have attracted increasing attention. Inspired by the layered structure of penguins’ fat–feather–oil, this study prepared a three-layer MXene/waterborne polyurethane (WPU)-foam rubber-phase change microcapsule (PCM)/WPU composite material (M-F-P) via the solution blending and doctor-blading method. The outermost layer of the M-F-P composite is an MXene/WPU conductive film, which features a low infrared emissivity and Joule heating performance to adapt to suddenly cold environments. The porous foam rubber in the middle layer provides excellent thermal insulation performance, which effectively inhibits heat conduction and enhances infrared stealth efficiency. Meanwhile, as a four-directional elastic material, it exhibits deformation recovery capability in both the warp and weft directions as well as the 45° direction. The bottom layer of the PCM/WPU film has a phase change enthalpy of 154.3 J/g and possesses efficient thermal management capability. It achieves dynamic thermal regulation through the cycle of heat absorption at high temperatures and heat release at low temperatures.