Improved abrasion-resistant coatings using designed inorganic particles for durable radiative cooling

摘要

Passive radiative cooling materials offer electricity-free cooling by strongly reflecting sunlight and emitting thermal radiation to outer space, presenting a significant potential to reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions. Among these, particle-filled coatings stand out for their ease of processing, cost-effectiveness, and superior cooling performance, making them a promising solution for building cooling applications. However, the practical outdoor application of current particle-filled coatings is hindered by their inadequate abrasion resistance, impacting the coating’s service life significantly. In this study, an efficient daytime cooling coating composed of ZrO2 particles and silicone acrylate with superior abrasion resistance is presented. By experimentally optimizing the composition, particle size, and volume fraction, this coating achieved a solar reflectivity of 95.7%, an emissivity of 0.978, and an abrasion resistance significantly exceeding that of existing commercial outdoor coatings, at 5310 m⋅N/mm3 compared to the typical 134 m⋅N/mm3. Even under extensive wear, the coating’s reflectivity only diminished by 0.7%, far less than the 3.8% reduction observed in commercial alternatives, demonstrating its durability under harsh conditions. Moreover, in humid daytime summer conditions, these coatings demonstrate an average temperature reduction of 2.6 °C and a maximum of 7.7 °C below ambient temperature. This work provides new insights in designing durable radiative cooling coatings, paves the way for their practical application in more outdoor applications settings.

宋效坤

PhD

张漫遥

PhD

赵其斌

副教授

我的研究关注软功能材料中的介观结构调控及其光学、热学与力学功能。我们以胶体、颗粒组装和聚合物复合体系为主要材料平台，研究剪切、弯曲、拉伸和循环形变等外部力学场如何驱动微结构重排、结晶、晶格转变与取向选择，并进一步调控材料的结构色、光谱响应、热辐射特性和力学响应。通过将软物质物理、可规模化加工和结构—性能分析相结合，研究旨在发展可编程软光子材料与功能涂层，为自适应光学表面、光热调控、传感和机械编码材料提供新的设计思路.