World’s whitest paint wins award

The whitest paint, which was developed by researchers at Purdue University and recognized by Guinness World Records Ltd., has won the 2023 Innovation Award in the sustainability category from SXSW LLC.

Led in development by Xiulin Ruan, professor of mechanical engineering, the paint fights global warming by keeping surfaces cool enough to reduce the need for internal air conditioning. SXSW is the latest organization to recognize the innovation, which has been featured on “PBS NewsHour” and “The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.” The paint also was the winner of the 2023 Gizmodo Science Fair.

Xiulin Ruan, professor of mechanical engineering, holds up his lab’s sample of the whitest paint on record. Image courtesy of Purdue University/John Underwood

Last year, Ruan and his team innovated further by developing a formulation of his groundbreaking paint that is thinner and lighter — ideal for radiating heat away from cars, trains, airplanes and even spacecraft. According to his team’s models, covering 1% of Earth’s surface in the technology could mitigate the total effects of global warming, a fact encouraging the team to continue pursuing formulas suitable for surfaces like asphalt and roadways.

Typical commercial white paint becomes warmer rather than cooler when subjected to sunlight or other light sources. Paints on the market that are designed to reject heat reflect only 80% to 90% of sunlight and can’t make surfaces cooler than their surroundings. In comparison, the whitest paint reflects 98.1% of solar heat away from surfaces.