Scientists develop nanocellulose-based aerogel film to keep buildings cooler

November 01, 2023 07:56 PM HKT | By EIN Presswire
 Scientists develop nanocellulose-based aerogel film to keep buildings cooler
Image source: EIN Presswire

CHINA, November 1, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ -- In a ground-breaking first, researchers have fabricated a scalable nanocellulose based aerogel film radiative cooler with strong light scattering ability. These coolers not only show well passive cooling capacity but exhibit superior anti-dust performance for longtime using.

The global demand for cooling energy has seen a surge in the 21st century. Notably, the use of air conditioners and electric fans accounts for nearly 20% of a building's overall electricity consumption. Exploring eco-friendly and sustainable cooling technologies holds promising prospects for combatting global warming and curbing energy usage.

In a study published in the KeAi journal Journal of Bioresources and Bioproducts, a team of Chinese researchers has introduced a scalable and dust-resistant nanocellulose-based aerogel film radiative cooler.

"Due to its high emissivity within the atmospheric transparency window (λ≈ 8-13 µm), cellulose has been identified as a viable candidate for radiative cooling,” shares explains first author of the study, Chenyang Cai, an associate professor in the College of Materials Science and Engineering at Nanjing Forestry University. “Nevertheless, conventional cellulose-based cooling systems often exhibit inadequate solar reflectivity and susceptibility to external dust contamination, leading to diminished daytime cooling efficiency."

To that end, the team has developed an eco-friendly nanocellulosic passive cooling material known as nanocellulose aerogel film. This material offers robust solar scattering and infrared emissivity, making it highly effective for passive cooling during the summer.

“The scalability of the nanocellulose aerogel film is achieved through freeze-drying and hot-pressing techniques. This pioneering cellulosic cooling solution can deliver a sub-ambient temperature reduction of 6.9°C under direct sunlight in hot conditions while also exhibiting dust-repellent properties,” explains Cai.

These sustainable passive cooling materials, featuring favorable optical characteristics and hydrophobicity, provide deeper insights into the development of next-generation thermal regulation materials, contributing to the realization of carbon neutrality.

Notably, most daytime radiative coolers used petroleum and heavy metal-based materials, contributing to secondary air pollution. Moreover, their cooling performance in hot summers required enhancement.

“We hope our study opens up new avenues for scientists to further explore cellulose-based materials for thermal regulation, addressing the issue of high energy consumption.”

DOI
10.1016/j.jobab.2023.06.004

Original Source URL
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobab.2023.06.004

Funding information
This research was founded under the Start-up Funds for Scientific Research at the Nanjing Forestry University (No. 163020337).

Lucy Wang
BioDesign Research
email us here


Disclaimer

The content, including but not limited to any articles, news, quotes, information, data, text, reports, ratings, opinions, images, photos, graphics, graphs, charts, animations and video (Content) is a service of Kalkine Media Limited, Company No. 12643132 (Kalkine Media, we or us) and is available for personal and non-commercial use only. Kalkine Media is an appointed representative of Kalkine Limited, who is authorized and regulated by the FCA (FRN: 579414). The non-personalised advice given by Kalkine Media through its Content does not in any way endorse or recommend individuals, investment products or services suitable for your personal financial situation. You should discuss your portfolios and the risk tolerance level appropriate for your personal financial situation, with a qualified financial planner and/or adviser. No liability is accepted by Kalkine Media or Kalkine Limited and/or any of its employees/officers, for any investment loss, or any other loss or detriment experienced by you for any investment decision, whether consequent to, or in any way related to this Content, the provision of which is a regulated activity. Kalkine Media does not intend to exclude any liability which is not permitted to be excluded under applicable law or regulation. Some of the Content on this website may be sponsored/non-sponsored, as applicable. However, on the date of publication of any such Content, none of the employees and/or associates of Kalkine Media hold positions in any of the stocks covered by Kalkine Media through its Content. The views expressed in the Content by the guests, if any, are their own and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of Kalkine Media. Some of the images/music/video that may be used in the Content are copyright to their respective owner(s). Kalkine Media does not claim ownership of any of the pictures displayed/music or video used in the Content unless stated otherwise. The images/music/video that may be used in the Content are taken from various sources on the internet, including paid subscriptions or are believed to be in public domain. We have used reasonable efforts to accredit the source wherever it was indicated or was found to be necessary.


Sponsored Articles


We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.