The result is a bright white building material that could be used for roofs to push away heat from inside the building. Researchers tested the cooling wood and found that it stayed, on average, five or six degrees cooler than the ambient air temperature — even at the hottest part of the day, the cooling wood was chillier than air. It stayed on average 12 degrees cooler than natural wood, which warms up more in the presence of sunlight. “The processed wood uses the cold universe as heat sink and release thermal energy into it via atmospheric transparency window. It is a sustainable material for sustainable energy to combat global warming” said Tian Li, of University of Maryland.
The mechanical strength per weight of this wood is also stronger than steel, which makes it a great choice for building materials, researchers said. It also damages less easily and can bear more weight than natural wood. Researchers estimate that the material would save on average 20 per cent of cooling costs.
Source: indianexpress
