Radiative Cooling Paint:
Researchers from Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) have developed a radiative cooling paint, which is specifically engineered to cool structures like buildings, pavers, and tiles in hot weather conditions.
- Radiative Cooling Paint is developed from a novel MgO-PVDF polymer nanocomposite.
- They used ultra-white and ultra-emissive magnesium oxide (MgO)-polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) nano-composite prepared from materials that are earth abundant, cheap, non-toxic and non-harmful.
- The optimized MgO-PVDF with a dielectric nanoparticles resulted in large solar reflectance of 96.3% and a record high thermal emission of 98.5% due to Mg─O bond vibrations, and other stretching/bonding vibrations from the polymer.
- The researchers developed polymer nanocomposite paint by using a simple solution-processed technique.
- By measuring the temperature of the paint using a thermocouple, excellent cooling performance was demonstrated under hot sunlight.
- The nanocomposite paint exhibited water-resistant hydrophobic properties and can be easily coated on pavers, wood sticks and so on with high uniformity and good adhesion.
- The surface temperature of a treated paver decreases by approximately 10°C under intense sunlight– almost double of the reduction that conventional white paints give.
- This low-cost, solution-processed paint demonstrates significant cooling capabilities with a high solar reflectivity and infrared thermal emissivity.
