Imagine that in just a few years it will be possible to cool residential, industrial and commercial buildings not with VRF systems and air conditioners, but with simple paint! This is not a myth or science fiction at all, there are such developments already today, and it is not about any one coating.
- What is it about
- SolCold - development from Israel
- About the principle of cooling
- Practical use
- Polymer Compounds
- What are they made of?
- Glass paint is not a myth
In different countries around the world experiments are being conducted with reflective materials. Remember how in the summer you install a special protective screen on the windshield in a car, which protects the torpedo from heating. Now imagine that it was possible to do the same with huge buildings, and their architectural design and area do not matter.
What is it about
Literally in the last few years, special paints made from a variety of substances have appeared. All of them are recognized to protect large structures from scorching sunlight, so that the temperature inside the room does not rise and remains at the optimal level.
The advantages of such paints are obvious:
- they provide protection of structural and facing elements from the harmful effects of thermal and ultraviolet radiation, extending the life of the unit;
- such a coating helps to do without installing additional air conditioning systems, which is especially important for large complexes (before, they had to install expensive multi-split systems to cool them);
- such coatings are not demanding for application and, moreover, do not need regular maintenance, which significantly reduces the cost of operating large complexes.
to contents ↑Here it is worth adding another important factor, and this is accessibility. The low cost of such paints made them available not only to large developers and managers of production facilities, but also to private clients. Ordinary consumers can use this paint, for example, to create a reflective layer on the roof.
SolCold - development from Israel
This is one very interesting startup, which at this stage is at the stage of pilot testing. Testing of the special coating will last for 2 years, and according to its results, the creators will be able to determine the scope of its application: it is highly likely that SolCold paint will be actively used in the space industry to protect ships and orbital stations from thermal radiation.
to contents ↑About the principle of cooling
SolCold paint consists of two layers:
- external - designed to filter light at specific frequencies;
- internal - used to absorb photons.
Natural sunlight on the surface of SolCold activates internal processes. The interaction (absorption and emission) of photons leads to a loss of thermal energy, so that the material on which this paint is applied is cooled by an average of 10 degrees Celsius.
Practical use
Since this paint is simple and unpretentious in application and does not require any special equipment, it is suitable for processing especially large complexes. These can be residential buildings and business centers, as well as production workshops.
It is noteworthy that SolCold paint is so effective that it prevents the heating of even metal surfaces (for example, corrugated board). As a result, this expands the possibilities for the rapid construction and processing of large industrial and private complexes.
Despite the fact that the creators of SolCold got excellent results, the scale production of this paint is still very far away. However, the prospects for the development of this direction cannot but rejoice, which is especially important against the background of inevitable climate changes and rising temperatures on the planet.
to contents ↑
Polymer Compounds
Another interesting development was polymer cooling paint, the creation of which was announced at the end of 2018. This curious composition has two active effects:
- dissipates heat;
- reflects the sun's rays.
The widespread use of polymer reflective paints has high expectations, since these compounds are relatively cheap and at the same time cause minimal harm to the environment. The main use of such paints helps to significantly save on energy consumption, and on the purchase of air conditioners and other equipment.
What are they made of?
Polymer reflective paints are obtained from the following materials:
- latex;
- polyurethane;
- epoxy resin;
- acrylic.
The disadvantage of such formulations is that they are short-lived. In conditions of heavy use, the reflective coating cracks rather quickly and has to be updated several times a year. This drawback is outweighed by one important advantage of polymer paints, and this is high efficiency.
Already, there are compounds that can scatter up to 98% of the sunlight entering the surface. According to the results of the studies, the use of polymer reflective paint allowed to reduce the temperature inside the room by an average of 2-8 degrees. It is important that here we are talking not about zonal or local, but about complete cooling of the air inside the room, which is an excellent result.
Glass paint is not a myth
One of the most promising developments is paint based on potassium silicate. This substance is an analog of silica from which glass is made.
In liquid form (when interacting with water), this substance is easily applied to any surface, and after drying, a solid water-repellent and reflective layer is formed, resembling glass in its structure.
The composition is unique in that it reflects 100% of the sun's rays. If you cover them with a metal roof, then the temperature of the base will be the same as the temperature of the air inside the room, and it will remain even in the summer sun!
Today, such an emulsion is on sale, and it can be purchased at an affordable price. Along with other developments, it is increasingly becoming part of our lives and it is likely to believe that reflective paints will soon be able to replace conventional air conditioners.
Write in the comments about the benefits of such technologies for you.
