Advanced near-infrared absorbing material turns sunlight into heat

J-STORIES - CWO is an advanced material that contains near-infrared absorbing microparticles. Developed by Sumitomo Metal Mining in 2004 for industrial applications, such as car and train window films, it is already widely used in Europe and the US. But its range of uses is now set to dramatically expand under the new brand name SOLAMENT.

The microparticles in SOLAMENT both absorb near-infrared light, converting it into heat, and block other light and heat, preventing internal temperatures from rising. These properties give it a wide range of potential uses, from apparel to agriculture.

The material is available in both powder and liquid form, and can be either applied to the surface of products or blended into fibers. For example, the material can be used to make jackets that absorb near-infrared sunlight and are as warm as down jackets. On the other hand, the heat-blocking properties of the material means it can be used to prevent agricultural greenhouses from becoming too hot.

SOLAMENT Project Leader Keisuke Ishibashi told J-STORIES, “We can see the potential for new businesses (using this material), such as harvesting vegetables during the scorching hot Kyushu summer, that up to now were impossible.”

In tests by the company, when a jacket made with SOLAMENT was compared to a jacket containing real down feathers, the former was found to change  the wearer’s body temperature in the same way and to be just as warm. Ishibashi pointed out that blankets containing SOLAMENT could keep people warm using sunlight following disasters or in war zones without electricity.

One more unusual application also relies on the material’s infrared light absorbing properties. In Japan, where photography of athletes using infra-red cameras to expose underwear has become a problem, SOLAMENT could even be used to make voyeur-proof athletes’ uniforms, said Ishibashi.

Translated by Tony McNicol

Photo by Sumitomo Metal Mining

For inquiries about this article, please contact jstories@pacificbridge.jp

Click here for the Japanese version of the article