Poplar-based thermochromic composites that change colour at 38 °C to 46 °C

Abstract

Abstract The red thermochromic dye (R-TD) is the tetradecanoic acid tetradecyl ester (C28H56O2) and methyl red (C15H15N3O2) mixture that has better permeability enabling its infiltration into wood and better thermochromic properties changing its colour at above 30 °C after about 0.5 min. Thicker poplar-based thermochromic composite specimens (R-PTC, thickness: 5.0 mm) were prepared by filling the R-TD into pre-treated poplar veneer (thickness: 5.0 mm) thus allowing better penetration after pre-treatment. After R-TD infiltration, the R-PTC samples were covered by polypropylene wax for preventing R-TD from overflowing from R-PTC under the action of phase-change temperature. This R-PTC, whose colour can change from light-red to dark-red at 38 °C to 46 °C, can recover to light-red at below 38 °C after about 14 h, and the peak of colour change is at about 42 °C. R-PTC will be suitable for materials used in thermochromic furniture that can indicate the surface temperature to potential users, thus allowing assessment of likely scalded pain when used the furniture.