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Scientists say they have created an experimental new high-tech window coating that works similarly to polarized lenses on sunglasses by allowing all of the visible light through while also reflecting unwanted heat. If added to existing buildings and car windows, the new coating could reduce internal temperatures in hotter climates without sacrificing any of the visible light while also reducing energy usage for indoor air conditioning by as much as 30%. The new coating was developed by researchers from Notre Dame University who were looking for a cheap yet viable way to reduce the use of air conditioning in cars...

Scientists applied a simple approach for growing hBN films on the surface of ubiquitous steels and other metal alloys to “armor” them and thus increase their capabilities. Credit: Adam Malin/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hexagonal boron nitride coatings on metal alloys enhance durability, reduce friction, and protect against harsh conditions, paving the way for improvements in solar panels, semiconductors, and aerospace components. Researchers demonstrated that stainless steel and other metal alloys coated with hexagonal boron nitride, or hBN, exhibit non-stick or low-friction qualities along with improved long-term protection against harsh corrosion and high-temperature oxidation in air. Metal alloys —...

Florida International University will launch the technology to the International Space Station this fall, although the institution hasn't specified exactly when(opens in new tab) or upon what spacecraft. A test sample will be mounted outside the orbiting facility for at least six months, to assess how well it performs in real life. The properties of the coating have not been publicly released, presumably because the innovation has not yet been patented nor proven. But if the tech performs well in low Earth orbit, there's promise for protecting structures that would be built on the moon for NASA's Artemis program, the...

The coating flouts the typical trend of hotter objects radiating more lightHotter objects typically glow brighter than cooler ones, making them stand out in infrared images. But a newly designed coating bucks the rule that hotter equals brighter. For certain wavelengths of infrared light, the material’s brightness doesn’t change as it warms, researchers report December 17 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Made of samarium nickel oxide, the thin coating “hides temperature information of surfaces from infrared cameras,” and could therefore be used as a privacy shield, says applied physicist Mikhail Kats of the University of Wisconsin–Madison....

A board coated in the new polymer paint stays significantly cooler than its surroundings, even in direct sunlight, as seen under ultraviolet lights. (Image courtesy of Columbia University.) ___________________________________________________________________ A team of engineers from Columbia University has created a polymer coating that uses nano-to-microscale air voids to reflect sunlight and cool down buildings. Passive daytime radiative cooling (PDRC) is a phenomenon where a surface spontaneously cools by reflecting sunlight and radiating heat to a cooler atmosphere. PDRC works best if a surface has high solar reflectance—meaning that most of the sun’s radiation is reflected away—and a high thermal emittance—meaning that...

Antiviral coating may help fight epidemics 15:00 14 April 2006 From New Scientist Print Edition BANKNOTES, vending machines and photocopiers could help fight off future epidemics if a novel antiviral coating can be made to work safely. Materials researcher Guagang Ren at Queen Mary, University of London, has discovered a raft of metal, metal oxide and ceramic nanoparticles that have strong antiviral properties. He hopes to create a face mask impregnated with the particles to destroy certain airborne viruses before people breathe them in. Ren has joined forces with UK-based Qinetiq Nanomaterials and London research firm Retroscreen Virology. Qinetiq's technology...

US Navy to order unique aircraft in Saratov 13:12 2004-04-23 The US Navy Department intends to subsidize the development of an advanced Russian aircraft, which will eventually be extinguishing forest fires on US territory. This UFO-shaped flying machine is currently being designed by the Saratov aviation concern. The Saratov aircraft enterprise, which is located in Russia's Volga region, started assembling UFO-shaped flying machines in the 1990s; however, this R&D project was then moth-balled because of financial snags. Many aircraft companies all over the world did their best to design similar flying machines. However, Saratov's aircraft designers managed to come with...