Scientists at the University of Hong Kong have achieved a breakthrough in the field of cooling passive radioactive, developing a revolutionary ceramic that promises to make air conditioning an outdated technology. The new ceramic, called “cooling ceramic”, passively cools environments, eliminating the need for energy consumption associated with traditional refrigeration methods.
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In this sense, this innovation is based on high-performance optical properties, reflecting heat at frequencies transparent to the Earth's atmosphere. This approach allows the temperature to be reduced in environments without the use of air conditioning, making it an economical and sustainable alternative. Find out more below:
According to Professor Chi Yan Tso, applying ceramics to the roof of a house can result in more than 20% of economy in electricity intended for cooling.
In other words, cooling ceramics are not just a laboratory proof of concept. Its cost-benefit ratio, durability and versatility make it ready for commercial application, not only in construction, but in several other areas.
The uniqueness of this material lies in its hierarchically porous structure, inspired by the bark of the beetle, with exceptionally bright white scales. These scales, made of sclerotin, a modified form of the polymer chitin, are whiter than any artificial material produced to date.
The ceramic production process uses affordable materials such as alumina and involves a simple two-step method: phase inversion and sintering. This approach makes production scalable and economically viable.
The cooling ceramics achieve high standards in optical properties, efficiently covering the solar range and the mid-infrared range. Above all, alumina, the main component of ceramics, minimizes solar absorption, ensuring its efficiency.
In addition to optical performance, the ceramic has demonstrated fire resistance, withstanding higher temperatures at 1,000 °C, and weather resistance, chemical stability and mechanical resistance in field tests.
At extremely high temperatures, the cooling ceramic exhibits superhydrousability, facilitating immediate spreading of drops and inhibiting the Leidenfrost effect, common in traditional materials coating.
Therefore, this characteristic allows efficient evaporative cooling, paving the way for a sustainable and economical solution in the space cooling scenario.
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