Cooling animals and animal fur with nanoparticles

Abstract

Nanoparticle treated fibrous articles, such as fabrics, fibers, filaments, or yarns, include a plurality of exposed, nonionic metal nanoparticles non-covalently affixed thereto. Metal nanoparticles can be strongly affixed to fibrous articles without covalently bonds and/or without being encapsulated within a polymer or adhesive. Such metal nanoparticles appear to adhere to fibrous articles by Van der Waals forces. Because they are nonionic, the nanoparticles are not easily removed by solvents, water, surfactants, and soaps, and remain after several washings, sometimes up to 50 or more washings.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of treating a fibrous material to provide effective cooling of the fibrous material, the method comprising:
 providing a fibrous material;   applying a nanoparticle composition to the fibrous material, the nanoparticle composition being comprised of
 a plurality of nonionic metal nanoparticles, and 
 a liquid carrier; 
   removing the liquid carrier such that the nonionic metal nanoparticles remain exposed and non-covalently affixed to the fibrous material; and   the nonionic metal nanoparticles affecting the heat transfer properties of the treated fibrous material to provide effective cooling of the fibrous material.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the fibrous material is from an animal source. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the fibrous material is fur or hair of an animal. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the fur or hair of the animal is attached to a living animal. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein a portion of the nanoparticle composition is applied to skin of the living animal. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the nonionic metal nanoparticles comprise at least one metal selected from the group consisting of silver, gold, platinum, palladium, rhodium, osmium, ruthenium, rhodium, rhenium, molybdenum, copper, iron, nickel, tin, beryllium, cobalt, antimony, chromium, manganese, zirconium, tin, zinc, tungsten, titanium, vanadium, lanthanum, cerium, heterogeneous mixtures thereof, and alloys thereof. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the nonionic metal nanoparticles comprise gold nanoparticles. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the nonionic metal nanoparticles have a mean diameter or length and wherein at least 99% of the metal nanoparticles have a diameter or length within 30% of the mean diameter or length. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the nonionic metal nanoparticles have a ξ-potential of at least 10 mV. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the nonionic metal nanoparticles includes spherical-shaped nanoparticles having a solid core and a diameter of 40 nm or less. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the spherical-shaped nanoparticles have a mean diameter and wherein at least 99% of the spherical-shaped nanoparticles have a diameter within ±3 nm of the mean diameter. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the nonionic metal nanoparticles are non-covalently affixed to the fibrous material by Van der Waals forces. 
     
     
         13 . A method of treating an animal to provide effective cooling of the animal, the method comprising:
 providing an animal;   applying a nanoparticle composition to the fur, hair, or feathers of the animal, the nanoparticle composition being comprised of
 a plurality of nonionic metal nanoparticles, the plurality of metal nanoparticles including gold nanoparticles, and 
 a liquid carrier; 
   removing the liquid carrier such that the nonionic metal nanoparticles remain exposed and non-covalently affixed to the fur or hair of the animal; and   the nonionic metal nanoparticles affecting the heat transfer properties of the treated fur or hair to provide effective cooling of the animal.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the treated animal is a livestock animal. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the nonionic metal nanoparticles include spherical-shaped nanoparticles. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the nonionic metal nanoparticles include coral-shaped nanoparticles. 
     
     
         17 . A nanoparticle treated fibrous article from an animal source, the nanoparticle treated fibrous article having heat transfer properties that provide more effective heat transfer than an article untreated with nanoparticles, the article comprising:
 a fibrous article from an animal source; and   a plurality of exposed, nonionic metal nanoparticles non-covalently affixed to the fibrous article.   
     
     
         18 . A nanoparticle treated fibrous article as in  claim 17 , wherein the fibrous article is fur or hair of an animal attached to a living animal. 
     
     
         19 . A nanoparticle treated fibrous article as in  claim 17 , wherein the animal is a livestock animal. 
     
     
         20 . A nanoparticle treated fibrous article as in  claim 17 , wherein the nonionic metal nanoparticles are selected from the group consisting of gold, silver, heterogenous mixtures thereof, and alloys thereof.