Scientists create world’s whitest paint that could reduce need for air conditioning

This Is Purdue, professor of mechanical engineering at Purdue University, Xiulin Ruan, discusses his newest invention – ultra-white paint. Using the paint to cover a roof area of about 1,000 square feet could result in a cooling power of 10 kilowatts, Purdue researchers said.

A team of scientists at a US university have created the world’s whitest paint, which could help the fight against global warming.

World’s Whitest Paint

The paint has now entered the Guinness World Records book as the whitest ever made. Xiulin Ruan, a professor of mechanical engineering at Purdue University, and his team have developed the paint.

The white acrylic paint reflects 98.1 percent of sunlight and deflects infrared heat, allowing buildings to cool below surrounding air temperature. This means it could minimize the use of air conditioners.

The new paint absorbs less heat from the Sun than it emits. Commercial white paint typically reflects only 80-90 percent of sunlight.

“Typical commercial white paint gets warmer rather than cooler. Paints on the market that are designed to reject heat reflect only 80-90 percent of sunlight and can’t make surfaces cooler than their surroundings,” Purdue University said in a statement.

Using the paint to cover a roof area of about 1,000 square feet could result in a cooling power of 10 kilowatts, Purdue researchers said. This is more powerful than air conditioners used in most houses, according to Ruan.

“When we started this project about seven years ago, we had saving energy and fighting climate change in mind,” said Ruan, in a podcast episode of “This Is Purdue.”

The researchers believe that this white may be the closest equivalent of the blackest black, “Vantablack,” which absorbs up to 99.9% of visible light. The new whitest paint formulation reflects up to 98.1% of sunlight – compared with the 95.5% of sunlight reflected by the researchers’ previous ultra-white paint – and sends infrared heat away from a surface at the same time.