Scientists at Purdue University have claimed to have created the 'whitest paint ever'. Interesting, but what has this got to do with geography?
The new paint may have a role to play in tackling global warming, by reducing the need for air conditioning as it reflects up to 98.1% of sunlight. It is believed it can lower surface temperatures by as much as 10 degrees.
Image: Purdue University
Ordinary white paints on the market reflect only 80-90 per cent of sunlight and cannot make surfaces cooler than their surroundings, according to researchers. The developers also said the new white could be the closest equivalent of the blackest black, Vantablack, which was developed in 2014 and absorbs up to 99.9 per cent of visible light.
The new paint is so white due to a high concentration of barium sulphate, which is used to make photo paper and cosmetics white. A high concentration of barium sulphate particles can scatter more light as the particles are all different sizes, meaning they can cover more of the light spectrum.
Image: The Conversation
The use of air conditioners and electric fans accounted for nearly 10 per cent of global electricity use by 2018, a figure that is expected to rise to nearly 40 per cent by 2050, according to a report from the International Energy Agency (IEA). Many of the world's hottest countries are developing economies where a rise in personal income was found to correspond with demand for home air conditioning. In China, where demand has risen fastest, energy consumption from air conditioning has shot up by 13 per cent a year since 2000, the IEA found. Experts have warned that efforts to reduce energy use focus too much on heating, while use for cooling will continue to rise as the planet warms.
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