Researchers at Columbia Engineering have invented a high-performance exterior PDRC [passive daytime radiative cooling] polymer coating with nano-to-microscale air voids that acts as a spontaneous air cooler and can be fabricated, dyed, and applied like paint on rooftops, buildings, water tanks, vehicles, even spacecraft -- anything that can be painted. They used a solution-based phase-inversion technique that gives the polymer a porous foam-like structure. The air voids in the porous polymer scatter and reflect sunlight, due to the difference in the refractive index between the air voids and the surrounding polymer. The polymer turns white and thus avoids solar heating, while its intrinsic emittance causes it to efficiently lose heat to the sky.
Journal Reference:
J. Mandal, Y. Fu, A. Overvig, M. Jia, K. Sun, N. Shi, H. Zhou, X. Xiao, N. Yu, Y. Yang. Hierarchically porous polymer coatings for highly efficient passive daytime radiative cooling. Science, 2018; eaat9513 DOI: 10.1126/science.aat9513
The new desert home paint?
(Score: 1) by nitehawk214 on Friday September 28 2018, @05:31PM
If it doesn't last more than one season in an area that gets weather, it isn't going to be any more cost effective than air conditioning.
It reminds me of the convention center here. They planted one of those roof gardens to help keep temperatures down. Unfortunately the garden causes a leak that ruined the roof in that section costing a lot more to repair than they would save on the cooling costs.
"Don't you ever miss the days when you used to be nostalgic?" -Loiosh