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BOB HIRSHON (host):Painting with glass. I’m Bob Hirshon and this is Science Update.
Buildings of the future may stay cool coated in paint made of glass. Despite its reputation for fragility, the hardness of glass combined with another form of silica results in a paint that’s also tough and resilient. And according to senior scientist Jason Benkoski, at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, the paint reflects, rather than absorbs, sunlight.
JASON BENKOSKI (Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory):
If you have a black paint on your roof, you can heat up by 30 or 40 degrees Celsius. By adding a solar reflective coating, you don’t absorb as much heat, so then you can lower your energy bills.
HIRSHON:
What’s more, the paint would reduce corrosion on buildings, which is amplified by heat. And unlike most paints on the market today, glass paint is both non-toxic and environmentally friendly. Benkoski and his team unveiled their new paint at this year’s meeting of the American Chemical Society. I’m Bob Hirshon for AAAS, the science society.