Scientists at MIT in the US created the transparent, doubled-layered cooling material, which cools five times longer than conventional single-layer versions. Cheap cooling technology that does not require external energy sources is becoming increasingly important as the climate warms, to keep buildings cool and preserve food and pharmaceuticals. It the desert, a camel's fur acts as an insulator from the heat of the sun, keeping its skin and hump – which contains fat – cool. To mimic a camel's fur layer, the researchers created the highly porous, hydrophobic silica aerogel with about half the thermal conductivity of air, and the sweat gland-mimicking hydrogel. A cooling technology with only the hydrogel layer could maintain a slightly lower temperature, but the double layer lasted far longer.

Source: Daily Mail November 12, 2020 11:04 UTC