It’s estimated that 10 percent of all the energy used in buildings in the United States can be attributed to window performance, costing building owners about $50 billion annually, yet the high cost of replacing windows or retrofitting them with an energy efficient coating is a major deterrent.
HMG Paints Ltd, the Manchester, UK-based paint manufacturer, has joined the EU-funded PolyGraph Project that aims to utilize the properties of graphene to develop pioneering materials that are stronger, tougher and more flexible than ever before.
Birds use sophisticated changes to the structure of their feathers to create multi-colored plumage, using a process that could pave the way for the creation of paints and clothing colors that won’t fade over time.
A research effort led by the University of Colorado Boulder to develop an inexpensive, “do-it-yourself” coating to retrofit energy-inefficient windows in residential and commercial buildings has been given a $4 million boost over three years by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
A smarter approach to applying advanced thin-film coatings to high-value engineering products is being developed by Teer Coatings, Cobham Technical Services and The Open University.
Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have received a five-year, $3.6 million grant from the National Science Foundation to develop materials for multifunctional coatings on emergency tents, enabling them to manage water, prevent the spread of bacteria and capture and store solar energy.
