According to the automaker, the new paint, created in collaboration with Radi-Cool, contains synthetic composite materials with a «structure that demonstrates properties not normally found in nature».
These materials (the composition of which has not been disclosed) appear to simply reflect infrared rays better and create electromagnetic waves that block these rays, redirecting energy away from vehicles Nissan claims that the new paint has shown a temperature reduction of about 12.2℃ on the outside and 5℃ on the inside.
The cost of using such paint will mainly depend on the thickness of the coating and weight. The current prototypes have a coating 6 times thicker than that of a standard car (although the development of a thinner one is also underway). Nissan itself has not yet provided an actual cost calculation, but it is likely that the paint is primarily intended for use on emergency vehicles and trucks with vans, not consumer vehicles.
Nissan is not the first automaker to experiment with cooling coatings. Toyota has also been developing experimental paint that provides lower interior temperatures, mostly focusing on colors that refract the sun’s rays.
The company that helped Nissan develop the paint also created a film and fabric that reduce heat. Radi-Cool has partnered with many other Japanese companies to offer cool hats and sun umbrellas, and Nissan was the first partner among Japanese automakers.
Susumu Miura, head of Nissan’s research center, said that the electromagnetic waves emitted by the paint have no noticeable negative impact on human health.
«Such waves are all around us,” he said. «My dream is to create cooler cars without consuming energy».
Source: TechXplore, Quartz