The ultra-white paint developed by a research team led by Xiulin Ruan at Purdue University late last year is all set to go commercial with a thinner consistency that can be sprayed. The whitest paint ever on record, its average cooling power is 113 watts per square meter and reflects 98.1 percent of sunlight to keep surfaces cool by up to seven degree Celsius.
Researchers believe that the paint could reduce our reliance on air-conditioners in the near future. Unlike other heat-rejecting white paints on the market made with titanium dioxide, the one developed by Purdue University uses barium sulfate, a known UV-reflecting compound.
The component is already being used in the manufacture of cosmetics, reflective photo paper, oil paints, X-ray examinations, and other applications. The miracle substance is a climate warrior too because according to the experimental model, covering just 0.5 to 1 percent of the Earth’s surface with the ultra-white paint can help tackle global warming.
Reducing reliance on air-conditioners obviously means lower electricity consumption. As a result, the paint may indirectly contribute to less burning of fossil fuels. Also, air-conditioners are known to work on the principle of convection.
To keep interiors cool, they push the hot air outside, which stays around in the surroundings, making them hotter. The new paint, on the other hand, works on the principle of radiation. It sends electromagnetic waves, which do not stay in the environment but pass through the atmosphere into deep space.
