In considering materials that could become the fabrics of the future, scientists have largely dismissed one widely available option: polyethylene (PE). The stuff of plastic wrap and grocery bags, polyethylene is thin and lightweight, and could keep the wearer cooler than most textiles because it lets heat through rather than trapping it in. But polyethylene would also lock in water and sweat, as it is unable to draw away and evaporate moisture. This anti-wicking property has been a major deterrent to polyethylene's adoption as a wearable textile.
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