American scientists have created asmart and eco-friendly roof coating, thatattracts or repels sunlightto maintain the temperature inside the house. The invention has been presented on the first day of the 239th annual meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS), which is held in San Francisco (USA) until next day 25.
Until now, you could choose between a light-colored roof, which repels sunlight and reduces air conditioning bills in summer and increases heating bills in winter, or dark tiles that attract the sun’s rays and reduce costs of construction. heating in winter, but literally “frying” the roof in summer.
However the new coating,made from disposable oil sourced from fast food restaurantscan “read” a thermometer and “decide” whether it repels or absorbs solar heat based on the outside temperature. “This is one of the most innovative and practical coating materials developed to date,” explains chemist Ben Wen, main author of the project. “Even lowering or increasing the roof temperature by a few degrees can make a big difference to your energy bill,” he adds.
The coating is made by processing cooking oil used to form a liquid polymer that hardens like a plastic. The product isodorless, non-toxic and fire retardant, and can be made in any shade, from light to dark. The chemists hope to commercialize the product in three years and indicate that its price will be lower than the coatings used today.
