Potential for Passive Radiative Cooling by PDMS Selective Emitters

Abstract

The scalability and implementation of selective emitters in passive radiative cooling applications are limited by the high fabrication costs due to the complexity of these structures. The usage of commercially available polymers in selective emitters holds potential in lowering the cost of radiative cooling solutions. In this work, we demonstrate that thin films of polydimethyl-siloxane (PDMS) on aluminum substrates act as radiative coolers by selectively emitting in the wavelength range of 8 μm to 13 μm, where the Earth’s atmosphere is highly transparent. We also show that our device can achieve passive cooling up to 12 °C below the ambient temperature under the night sky. This suggests that PDMS, especially due to its ease of deposition, may be a viable selective emitter in passive radiative cooling applications.