THERMORESPONSIVE POLYMER INDUCED SWEATING SURFACES AS AN EFFICIENT WAY TO PASSIVELY COOL BUILDINGS

 "Thermoresponsive Polymer Induced Sweating Surfaces as an Efficient Way to Passively Cool Buildings". A. C. C. Rotzetter, C. M. Schumacher, S. B. Bubenhofer, R. N. Grass, L. C. Gerber, M. Zeltner, W. J. Stark. ADVANCED MATERIALS 24, 5352 (2012). DOI: 10.1002/adma.201202574

Buildings can be effectively cooled by a bioinspired sweating-like action based on thermoresponsive hydrogels (PNIPAM), which press out their stored water when exceeding the lower critical solution temperature. The surface temperature is reduced by 15 °C compared to that of a conventional hydrogel (pHEMA) and by 25 °C compared to the bare ground.

Los edificios pueden enfriarse de manera efectiva mediante una acción bioinspirada en la sudoración, en base a hidrogeles termoresponsivos (PNIPAM), los cuales expelen el agua que contienen cuando se excede la mínima temperatura crítica de la disolución. La temperatura superficial se reduce en 15°C en comparación con lo que se logra con un hidrogel convencional (pHEMA) y en 25°C en comparación con el fondo.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.201202574/abstract