New "Cool Blue" Compound Can Increase Energy Efficiency In Buildings

A new blue pigment has been discovered at Oregon State University that reflects heat more efficiently and safely and is being considered for commercial applications to reduce cooling costs.

Cooling costs in warm regions can add a significant financial burden to families and businesses, especially in a time when heat strokes and heat exhaustion are rising due to warmer temperatures.

"This pigment has infrared heat reflectivity of about 40 percent, which is significantly higher than most blue pigments now being used," said Mas Subramanian, an OSU professor of chemistry who discovered the compound 

The "cool blue" compound is not only durable and easy to produce, but is also environmentally safe - which makes its attractiveness even higher.

"The more we discover about the pigment, the more interesting it gets," said Subramanian."We already knew it had advantages of being more durable, safe and fairly easy to produce. Now it also appears to be a new candidate for energy efficiency."

Green construction is turning more and more to "cool roofing," in which paints are applied to reflect and refract the sun's rays in order to cool the building down. They lower energy demands, which in turn lowers emissions from power plants. In addition, they are more aesthetically pleasing than panels or extraneous devices used to reflect the sun's rays.

"We're seeking licensing partners for this invention right now," said Mary Phillips, associate director of the Office for Commercialization and Corporate Development at OSU. "We believe it can contribute to new energy efficiency solutions around the world."

Darker colors tend to absorb heat, but some dark compounds, like the one discovered by Subramanian, also reflect infrared heat, which is the major source of heat from sunlight.

Efforts to create blue pigments go to the Han dynasty in China, the Egyptians, and even Mayan cultures. Those pigments, however, were always toxic, carcinogenic, or decayed too quickly.

The new blue pigment, according to OSU researchers, is probably the best one ever created by humans.