This revolutionary paint could replace air conditioning

New record for a team of researchers from the University of Purdue who works on a paint whiter than white. Last October, they announced a painting capable of reflecting 95.5% of light . The new formula goes even further, and reflects 98.1% of solar radiation while transmitting infrared heat .

This painting is the whitest in the world, and has just been registered in the Guinness Book of Records . It is so white that it cools down any painted object. Applied to buildings, it would reduce the need for air conditioning . According to Xiulin Ruan, professor of mechanical engineering and one of the authors of the article, this paint is “ more powerful than the air conditioners used by most houses ” .

A painting already on the market

Applied to a roof of 93 square meters, this paint would produce a cooling capacity of 10 kilowatts, and could represent an alternative to traditional air conditioners . The secret of the formula is barium sulfate , used in photographic paper and cosmetic products. The wavelength reflected depends on the particle size. By including barium sulfate particles of different sizes, the paint reflects a wider spectrum luminous.

This painting is the result of seven years of research, and was created with the ‘intention to fight the change climate . It should be available fairly quickly to the general public, since researchers have already found a partner for its commercialization.

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Researchers at Purdue University recently developed the whitest paint ever, capable of refreshing coated surfaces.

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A white paint recently developed by researchers promises to lower our air conditioning bills.

Here is his secret. © Purdue University

Reflect the Sun’s rays

Thanks to this new technology we could maintain a surface (a wall or a roof, a road or a car for example) to a temperature 7.7 ° C lower than that of the ambient environment. According to the press release from the university, this paint would be able to replace our current air conditioning systems by reflecting almost all of the rays. “ It seems very counter-intuitive that a surface in full sun may be cooler than the temperature reported by weather report local for this region, but we have shown that it is possible ”, declares Xiulin Ruan , professor of mechanical engineering, and lead author of the study, published in the journal Cell Reports Physical Science .

This paint would not simply have a positive impact on the environment by reducing our energy needs. Our asphalt roads and our concrete buildings are responsible for the absorption an enormous amount of ite “data-number=” “data-title=” Chaleur “data-tooltip=” “data-url=” http://www.futura-sciences.com/sciences/definitions/physique-chaleur-15898/ “href=”http://www.futura-sciences.com/sciences/definitions/physique-chaleur-15898/”> heat . By reflecting the Sun’s heat rays back into space, this new invention avoids contributing even more to global warming and makes it possible to design more eco-responsible infrastructure in the future. “ We do not move heat from the surface of the planet to atmosphere. We simply throw it back into space, which is a bottomless heat sink ”, comments Xiangyu Li, postdoctoral researcher at MIT and member of Ruan’s team.

An already marketable solution

Unlike the “anti-heat” paints currently marketed, which reflect only 80 to 90% of the radiation and cannot produce surfaces colder than their environment, the one developed by Ruan and his colleagues reflects 95.5% of the rays, effectively repelling the heat of infrared radiation .

It is also cheaper. Result of six years of research, based on tests started in the 1970s, this new product is composed of calcium carbonate, a substance abundant on Earth, found in the rocks and shells of molluscs . Due to its atomic structure, this ingredient hardly absorbs UV and allows to disperse a large number of wavelengths.

The idea is beautiful and could be found very soon in our stores . Researchers have already submitted an international patent application that could allow its rapid commercialization. It remains to know the potential impact of this paint on the environment in general. In 2014, pilots complained about glare caused by a field of solar panels on the Nevada-California border. Will it be the same if we consider painting the roofs of large cities white? What will be the impacts for fauna and flora, and in particular for birds? These questions will have to gradually find answers, but it is difficult to deny that this new advance looks promising!