MIT creates material that absorbs, stores and releases 'bursts' of solar heat.

Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a material that can absorb, store and release heat from the sun in a controlled manner. The technology makes use of a slightly yellowish translucent polymer film that can be applied to various surface types (from glass to plastics and fabrics, for example).

Solar energy is stored through a chemical process, not through methods that rely on the use of electricity. The key is a molecule capable of staying stable even when subjected to different configurations. When heated by solar radiation, the molecule activates its "charge mode" and then remains stable for long periods of time.

The release of heat happens at the moment the molecule reaches a specific temperature - "it then returns to its initial configuration, giving off a blast of heat, " as PhysOrg explains. Azobenzene molecules were used to create the material: several layers one by one had to be positioned to form a thin sheet. According to Advanced Energy Materials, a burst of up to 10 ° C above ambient temperature may be emitted by the component.

One of the practical applications is, for example, the installation of the material on the windshield of vehicles for melting ice (only the solid state water layer that comes in direct contact with the glass can be melted; gravity is responsible for detach the remaining ice). More information on MIT research can be found here.

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Via TecMundo.