Ultrawhite barium sulfate coatings provide efficient passive cooling under direct sunlight
In short: Researchers have developed a new type of ultrawhite paint and film using barium sulfate nanoparticles that can cool surfaces below the surrounding air temperature during the day. By optimizing the size and distribution of these particles, the team created a material that reflects nearly all sunlight while efficiently radiating heat into the atmosphere.
The study demonstrates that these coatings achieve high solar reflectance and high emissivity in the 'sky window' region. Field tests showed the film staying over 4.5 °C below ambient temperatures. While the study confirms high performance and ease of use, it primarily focuses on laboratory and field testing of specific material compositions.
Why it matters: New ultrawhite coatings offer a practical way to cool buildings and structures passively using sunlight-reflecting materials.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Research: Li et al. (2021). Ultrawhite BaSO 4 Paints and Films for Remarkable Daytime Subambient Radiative Cooling. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.
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