IIT develops a smart polymer window that responds to outer temperatures

31-Jan-07

The textile technology department of IIT has developed a smart polymer window that responds to outer temperatures. The polymer window lets in only diffused light when it is very hot and it turns clear when it gets cooler. The thermo-responsive polymer, which the window is coated with, becomes solid or semi-solid when it is very hot, in effect blocking radiation but letting in diffused light and the temperature range to which the window responds can be changed according to requirement. It turns liquid when it is warm, letting in the warmth of the sunlight, while the polymer disperses 90 percent of the radiations. The developed windows are coated with a polymer that responds instantaneously to temperature change - the windows will turn cloudy or clear at the same rate as the temperature outside is going up or down and the extreme heat is blocked, by coating the window with black film. This window is suitable for bunkers in the Thar desert and other extremely hot areas. The technology can also be used in old age homes, for growing sensitive plants as well as in homes and offices. The polymer has been created in-house at the IIT and makes use of indigenous materials, so it is not very expensive.