Windows gain competitive edge over global warming

A French-Japanese research collaboration has fabricated metal nanocomposite coatings that improve the insulating properties of window glasses. The new coating prevents a significant portion of near-infrared (NIR) and ultraviolet rays (UV) from passing through, while at the same time admitting visible light. The findings were reported in the journal Science and Technology of Advanced Materials.

The nanoclusters are dispersed in a PVP matrix that is then coated on ITO glass to block NIR and UV rays while letting visible light pass through.

“Although the fabrication of a commercial products is still a long way ahead, our work demonstrated a significant improvement in UV and NIR blocking properties compared to previous research,” says solid-state chemist Fabien Grasset, research director at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS).

“Buildings account for a large part of global energy consumption,” explains Grasset, “with a large amount of the annual energy consumption of a standard building going to cooling and/or heating systems to maintain indoor temperatures at comfortable levels.” Scientists are looking for ways to develop window glass coatings that can block the entry of NIR radiation so that buildings, and even cars, can consume less energy to keep it cool inside. However, this needs to be done in a way that still allows visible light to enter. Ideally, harmful UV rays would also be blocked.

To this end, the international French-Japanese research collaboration fabricated and analysed the performance of nanocomposites based on niobium-tantalum cluster compounds containing chloride or bromide ions.

They found that chloride-based nanoclusters provided the best performance in terms of blocking NIR and UV rays and allowing the passage of visible light. NIR and UV blocking by the nanoclusters depended on their concentration, dispersion and oxidation state. By tuning these parameters, the team was able to improve the nanocluster performance.

The nanoclusters were dispersed into a polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) matrix that was then coated onto indium-tin-oxide (ITO) glass. The combination increased the transmittance of visible light while reducing that of NIR and UV rays, relative to previous research. “These are very promising coating materials that block the most troublesome NIR wavelengths,” says Grasset.

“We have a long history of Japanese-French collaboration,” he continues. “We were already convinced that we are stronger working together by mixing our different cultures and ways of thinking. The international LINK project has reinforced this belief. We will continue to do our best to make further progress towards finding solutions for the global warming problem.”

Further information
Fabien Grasset
French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS)
Email: fabien.grasset@cnrs.fr

Research paper: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14686996.2022.2105659

About Science and Technology of Advanced Materials (STAM)

Open access journal STAM publishes outstanding research articles across all aspects of materials science, including functional and structural materials, theoretical analyses, and properties of materials. https://www.tandfonline.com/STAM

For more information on STAM, contact
Dr. Mikiko Tanifuji
STAM Publishing Director
Email: TANIFUJI.Mikiko@nims.go.jp

Press release distributed by Asia Research News for Science and Technology of Advanced Materials.






Topic: Press release summary

Accelerate Windows Applications, Including Microsoft SQL Server, by 2X with StarWind and Pavilion NVMe-oF/RoCE Solutions

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‘nothing (but windows)’ by Janie Doherty and Locky Morris

nothing (but windows) is a new body of work by Janie Doherty and Locky Morris commissioned for CCA Derry~Londonderry’s Project Space. Over the past month Janie and Locky have been making short video works, with snippets of some appearing in various forms on social media. Largely improvised, the videos respond in part to the environment it seems to play with, imbuing them with the atmosphere of the now, and giving them painterly qualities. Drawing on the human need for touch, the works are intuitive and fluid in nature and seem to act as a threshold between worlds. The Project Space is visible at all hours through CCA’s windows on Artillery Street and more excerpts will appear on our social media platforms @ccadld soon.

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

JANIE DOHERTY

Janie Doherty is a movement based artist from Derry~Londonderry and currently based in Belfast. After graduating with a first class honours in Dance in 2009 – Janie has been working as a dance facilitator, performer and creator in Northern Ireland. Janie’s work focuses on vulnerability as strength and she experiments with story-telling, film, sound and live performance. Janie has recently developed a new body of work as part of the Freelands Foundation 2018–2020 and is currently collaborating on several projects with Oona Doherty, Locky Morris and Alessandra Celesia.

janiedoherty.co.uk

LOCKY MORRIS

Locky Morris was born in Derry~Londonderry where he continues to live and work. His immediate environment provides a persistent recurring focus for his practice that has spanned three decades. His energy and preoccupations are put into life as an artist working with photography, found objects, installation, text, sound and video. He posts daily to an Instagram account ‘especiallyeverything’ @lockymorrisartist seeing it as a form of parallel practice. Locky is also a musician and songwriter.