The world’s whitest paint reaches a new level

last year We are talking Among those achieved by researchers at Purdue University A new formula for the world’s whitest paint, which was able to reflect 98.1% of all light that strikes it. Now, the same team has achieved the version that is Thinner and lighterIdeal for use in cars, trains and planes.

As they explain, the new material presents boron nitride in the form of hexagonal nanoplates and provides a solar reflectivity of 97.9%, which is somewhat lower than the original, although its thickness in the layers is only 150 microns. In other words, the new coating is not only thinner, but also has a lower density, and therefore weighs about 80% less.

According to George Chiu, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University:

This light weight opens doors to all kinds of applications. Now this paint has the ability to cool the exteriors of airplanes, cars or trains. A plane sitting on the tarmac on a hot summer’s day won’t have to turn on the air conditioner as hard to cool the interior, saving massive amounts of energy. Spaceships need to be as light as possible, and this board can be part of that.

If last year’s development represented progress in terms of energy efficiency, the new work is broadening horizons. In fact, they are in talks to commercialize their paint, and having filed for patents for the technology, the possibilities are huge.

For Rowan, “Using this coating will help cool surfaces and significantly reduce the need for air conditioning. This not only saves money, but also reduces energy use, which in turn reduces greenhouse gas emissions.”[[[[[New Atlas]