Project Documentation

 Pomperaug High School 9th Grade Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences 1 Table of Contents Company/ Team Introduction Executive Summary Description of Problem/ Solution Science Lab Report Target Market Research Campaign Information Design Scheme / Sustainable Exhibition Press Release Research Bibliography 2 Company/ Team Introduction
We are Concept Chromatic, chromatic signifies a gradient color scale. This represents our product which is a temperature sensitive paint that changes color throughout the seasons. Our idea evolved from pencils which change color when exposed to heat from your hands, along with straws in which color is altered by the temperature of a drink. Our ambition with this product is to balance out our lifestyle with the environmental impact that luxuries we crave bring about. Executive Summary
Problem/ Solution Our goal is to balance our heating and cooling needs while leaving less of an environmental footprint. In the Northeast, we have very hot summers and freezing cold winters. Most homes in the Northeast have dark colored roofs, which melt snow quickly. When summer comes, people are left with roofs that absorbs solar heat making their attic and living space hotter than it needs to be. Is there a way to have a light colored roof for the summer and a dark roof for the winter? Yes! This is possible through Concept Chromatic’s Leuchromic Paint. This product lets you take advantage of the natural absorption and reflection of light energy on the roofs of homes in order to cutback the stress put on heating and cooling systems in the home. This paint simply changes color through the power of leuco dyes, a temperature sensitive color changing pigment. This paint turns white when it is hot in the summer, and dark gray in the cold winter making your home more energy efficient. Lower demands for electricity will result in less carbon dioxide being emitted from burning fossil fuels. Finally, diminishing the contribution to global warming.
Analysis/ Conclusion After conducting our experiment, we found out that the Leuchromic Paint (Leuco House) successfully helped keep heat out of all the sections of the house more efficiently than the standard painted house (Control House). The interior of the Control House increased in temperature twice as much as the Leuco House. The data supported our hypothesis that when the leuco dyes turned the roof white, light would be reflected, keeping the house cooler than the darker roof. Description of Problem/ Solution
The rate of CO​
gas has increased dramatically since the late 1950’s. The Mauna Loa 2​
Observatory has recorded that CO​
has increased by 80 parts per million in the atmosphere 2​
since then. According to energy.gov, “air conditioners use about 5% of all the electricity produced in the United States.” Because of air conditioners, 100 million tons of CO​
is 2 ​
released into the air. The air conditioners are of course used to cool a house, but hot air from the attic can often leak inside, and an unnecessary amount of energy is used to make the house a comfortable temperature. To tackle the problem of CO2 emissions, we created a color changing paint mixture made up of leuco dyes, a black thermochromic pigment, along with white paint and UV 3 resistance spray. This paint solution would change color depending on the outside temperature, reflecting sunlight in the summer and absorbing sunlight in the winter. This is fit for our climate here in the northeast where weather changes are drastic. Leuco dyes start as a dark gray color a​
t temperatures below 92°F. The molecule has a flattened shape with alternating single and double bonds. This form, called the colored form, lowers the energy of light that gets absorbed and falls in the visible spectrum making the leuco dyes appear black. When heated, a conformational change takes place twisting the molecules and making them contract and tilt. This new form, called the leuco form, changes the light absorbance properties of the molecule. Since the light that was getting absorbed is no longer in the visible spectrum, the leuco dyes appear to be clear. When the leuco dyes go clear they reveal the white painted roof. The white paint will reflect the sunlight, not allowing it to maintaining a cooler temperature in your house. Science Lab Report
Statement of Learning: The purpose of our 2015 Expo Project is to balance your cooling needs with energy and natural resources. To do this we focused on a way to reduce the house's temperature by making the roof reflect solar radiation when it is hot, allowing less heat to transfer to the interior, thus reducing the need for energy to cool the house. We created a mixture of thermochromic pigment (also know as leuco dyes) and white paint, with a uv protection spray applied onto the roofs. The thermochromic paint turns white in hot temperatures, reflecting light and in turn keeping the house cooler. But our final solution was not reached immediately, there were many prototypes and problems we had to adapt to and improve on. With new findings in our research and data, we had to reevaluate and perfect our product. These are some of the obstacles and situations we had to get overcome and adapt to. The biggest complication we encountered in our project was dealing with the deterioration of the thermochromic pigment color changing ability when exposed to large amounts of ultraviolet radiation given off by the sun. The pigment would become ineffective shortly after being exposed to ultraviolet radiation because the chemical makeup of their molecules will deform, disrupting its ability to turn transparent. To fix this we explored ways on how products such as certain car windows and compounds in sunscreen block UV radiation. We added a coating of clear UV protective spray paint on top of our thermochromic paint and compared it to thermochromic paint without UV protection. After a week under the sun, our observations showed that the application still functions and there were no signs of degradation of the pigment in comparison to the roof without UV protection, which had faded slightly. Additionally, we could not get the paint to be a solid black color, but more of a dark, gray tone. We wanted to have a black paint so it better shows the contrast between the black thermochromic pigment clearing up in hot temperatures, and the white paint which it was mixed with. Large amounts of black dye were added to darken the paint, but we were unable to create a pure black mixture. Therefore, we decided to keep the gray colored paint for our product. The roof’s transition to white in hot temperatures was our focus, not the dark color in 4 cooler climates, because it looks the same as the other roofs and should have the same, or even better results. Another problem was having to calculate the exact ratio of black pigment to white paint needed to paint the model roof. This was a tedious task as we needed to carefully measure the mass instead of volume of the paint while limiting errors and mistakes as much as possible. We had to be careful not to spill any of the pigment which we only had a short supply. Abstract: The purpose of our experiment was to balance our cooling needs with energy and natural resources. It was hypothesized that by having a paint that turns white when exposed to temperatures 92​
° Fahrenheit and above, it will reflect wavelengths, which transfer into heat, from getting inside the house and finally decreasing its temperature. Black thermochromic pigment was mixed with white paint. When the black thermochromic pigment turns clear it will expose the white paint underneath. Our procedure revolved around two model houses. One with Leuchromic Paint on the roof (our independent variable), and one with normal, dark paint of the same starting color (our control). An infrared thermometer was used to measure the surface temperature of the roof of both houses, and a wireless digital window thermometer was used to find the temperature of the houses’ interiors and attics. From the data we collected, it was concluded that thermochromic paint did reflected a large portion of heat from the house, effectively cooling it. The temperature in the interior of the Leuchromic house increased only 3.2° by the end of the experiment, while the control house increased 7.2°, meaning the Leuchromic house’s interior was twice as effective as the Control House. Leuchromic Paint on a roof does indeed cool a house more effectively than a normal one. Introduction/Theory​
: According to the Department of Energy, air conditioners use about 5% of all the electricity produced in the United States, and 17% percent of the average household's energy. This is a very large portion of energy use to keep our houses at a comfortable temperature, and an issue that should be solved. To tackle this issue, our thermochromic paint solution would change color depending on the outside temperature. It would then reflect heat to reduce the temperature inside the house so less energy would be used to cool your home. When it is hotter outside, the Leuchromic paint reacts and turns clear revealing the white paint under it. The ingredient responsible for Leuchromic Paint changing color is the thermochromic pigment (leuco dyes). Thermochromic is a property that changes color as temperature changes. The thermochromic pigment we used has one solid color (black) form, and a colorless (clear) form. Under 92°F the pigment is black. When the temperature surpasses 92°F, the pigment turns clear. ​
This new form is called the leuco form. When the thermochromic pigment is clear it shows the white paint which it is mixed with. 5 For a visual guide to the molecular level, click on the ​
link to our animation​
. If you look closely we can see the flattened shape of the molecule and the alternating single and double bonds within the molecule. This form, the colored form, lowers the energy of light that gets absorbed and falls in the visible spectrum, making the leuco dyes appear black. When heated, a conformational change takes place twisting the molecules making them contract and tilt. This new form changes the light absorbance properties of the molecule, increasing the energy of light that gets absorbed and is not in the visible spectrum, making the leuco dyes appear clear, taking their leuco form. The white paint mixed with the thermochromic pigment shows through, and now reflects the sun's rays, lowering the temperature of your home. The lab procedure involved taking two model houses and placing them under heat lamps to simulate houses in hot climates. The Leuchromic Paint consisted of white oil­based, rust oleum paint combined with black thermochromic pigment, along with UV resistance sprayed on top. We painted the Leuchromic Paint on one roof of a house and standard paint of a matching color on another house. We then took the temperature of the attic and interior with a wireless window thermometer and the roof with an infrared thermometer. The temperatures were recorded and compared to look for any significant changes. The goal of the experiment was to reduce the heat on the interior of the house by reflecting the light with the white exterior. We predicted that by having a paint mixture that turns white in hot climates, it would reflect the wavelengths of light and keep the house naturally cooler. When wavelengths of light come in contact with a substance, they are either absorbed and transferred into heat (This transfer occurs when the wavelengths pass through the substance, making its electrons vibrate and move more freely, causing the substance to get hot.), or the wavelengths will be reflected. White reflects all light waves visible to the naked eye (i.e. white light which includes all visible light in spectrum given off by the sun, is made up of ROYGBIV light), so it absorbs the least amount of heat. Black absorbs all light wavelengths making it the best color to absorb heat. We constructed a model house with the Leuchromic Paint which will adapt to real houses to use on their roofs. Our objective was to use the color changing ability of the leuco dyes to reflect sunlight and reduce the temperature of the house. By decreasing the temperature of the interior, cooling systems are in less demand. The product will allow the 6 average house to become cooler, reducing the need to use the air conditioner, and in turn using less electricity and less resources and conserving natural resources. Purpose: This experiment was conducted to test the effectiveness of our Leuchromic paint on the temperature of a roof to reduce the amount of cooling used. Our mission was to balance our cooling needs with energy and natural resources Hypothesis: If Leuchromic paint changes from dark to white at 92°F then the amount of energy absorbed by the roof and house will decrease the temperature of the house because light colors reflect more light than dark. Variables: Independent Variable​
: Leuchromic paint on roof Dependant Variable:​
Temperature of the surface of the roof, attic, and inside of the house Control Variable:​
Roof with normal paint of the same color gray Constant Variables:​
Amount of paint, surface area of roof (30cm x 25cm sides with a 10cm high peak), distance from heat lamp, angle of lamp, size of the house, outside environment Definitions: Leuco Dye:​
A dye that has two forms, one of which is clear and colorless. Thermal Energy:​
Energy​
that is created and measured by heat. Chromatic:​
Pertaining to color Solar Radiation:​
Energy in the form of electromagnetic waves radiated from the sun Ultraviolet Radiation:​
Light shorter than visible, violet light on the electromagnetic spectrum Infrared Thermometer:​
Takes temperature from a distance using thermal radiation emitted by object being measured 7 Transparent:​
Letting light pass through Opaque:​
Blocks light to pass through ROYGBIV:​
Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet light, Electromagnetic Spectrum:​
The frequencies of electromagnetic radiation or range of wavelengths from gamma rays to radio waves. Transmit:​
To permit (heat, light, energy, etc.) to pass through Procedures: Procedure for Experiment Comparing Leuchromic House to Control House: 1. Gather materials: Mix x grams amount of white paint with x grams amount of black leuco dye (there should be enough to cover the whole roof you are using). There has to be a 1(leuco dye) to 9(white paint) ratio. 2. Apply mixture to one roof with paint brush. Two coats are ok if there are spots you missed because it does not affect the results. 3. With paint of the same color (dark gray, but no leuco dye mixed in) use a different paintbrush to apply it to the other roof. 4. Place a lamp above each roof, with the ruler measuring 30 centimeters from the bulb to the relative center of the left side of the roof at a 90° angle 5. Record the temperature of the interior and attic by checking the wireless window thermometer attached to the house, and surface of the roof by infrared thermometer. 6. Turn on the lamp and start the timer at the same time 7. Every fifteen minutes for the next 240 minutes measure the temperature of both sides of the roof in Celsius and record them in the table. 8. Turn off the lamp and timer. 9. Clean up. Procedure for UV Resistance Testing: 1. Apply x amounts mixture of Leuchromic Paint to both roofs with paint brush. Make sure the relatively same amount is applied and fully covers both house roofs. 2. Apply x amount of UV protective spray paint to independant roof. 3. Expose them to UV 4. Every day for the next week check on the house boards and record observations 5. Remove houses and clean up. Data and Observations: 8 This data was recorded from our formal experiment with Leuchromic Paint painted House compared to the Control (normal, identical colored paint). TABLE 1 FAHRENHEIT Leuco Dyes Minutes Spent Under Light Leuco Attic Surface Interior Regular Leuco Surface Leuco Interior Attic 0 73 75 74 75 75 73 15 77 108 74 81 126 73 30 79 128 75 88 145 75 45 84 129 75 93 151 75 60 84 129 75 95 152 75 75 86 130 77 95 153 77 90 86 130 77 95 153 77 105 86 131 77 95 154 77 120 86 131 77 95 154 78 135 86 131 77 95 154 78 150 88 131 77 97 154 78 165 88 131 77 99 154 78 180 88 131 77 99 154 78 195 88 131 77 99 154 80 210 88 131 77 99 154 80 225 88 131 77 99 154 80 240 88 131 77 99 154 80 *​
Temperatures shown in the graph above are displayed in integers. They were initially recorded in Celsius, and we wanted to convert them to Fahrenheit to make the table more user­friendly. The conversion caused the temperature to be in fractions so we rounded the numbers to whole numbers. Change in Temp °F 14.4 56.4 3.6 23.6 79.8 7.2 9 Attic Differences in Temp ​
°F 9.2°F Surface Interior 23.4°F 3.6°F TABLE 2 TABLE 3 10 TABLE 4 11 Table 5 Conclusion: The results of the experiment supported our hypothesis. There was a significant difference in the temperatures of the model houses. At the start of the experiment both the experimental and control house had starting temperature differences of less than 2​
°F. This difference was most likely due to thermometer calibration. ​
Temperatures were recorded ​
every 15 minutes on the roof’s surface, the attics, and interior of both houses. Over a period of 4 hours, all sections of both houses increased their temperatures, but the house with the Leuchromic Paint increased much less than the house without Leuchromic Paint (the control house). The surface of the roof of the Leuco House increased its temperature by 56.4°F. However, the surface of the control house increased temperature by 79.8°F, resulting in a 23.4°F difference. After 15 minutes under the heat lamp, the Leuco House took a 33°F rise in 12 temperature, but suddenly slowed its rate of increase after the second measurement. From the 30 minute mark to the 240 minute mark, the Leuco House's surface temperature only rose by 3°F. This is because the Leuco House’s roof had the ability to change color and turned white. After a couple of minutes when the roof was completely turned to white it was able to reflect most of the heat. As for the Control House’s roof, the temperature continued to rise at a high rate before stopping its increase at a little under 2 hours. The Leuco House’s attic started with a temperature of 73°F and rose by 14.4°F stopping at about 88°F. The control house’s attic had a relatively similar starting temperature, 75°F, but ended at about 99°F, with a 23.6°F increase, more than 50% larger than the Leuco House’s increase. Both the Leuco and the Control attics’ temperatures stopped increasing at 165 minutes. This is because the heat flows towards cooler areas and balances out the temperature eventually cooling areas such as the main interior of the house. The interior of both houses had the smallest change in temperature during the experiment. This is because less heat is transferred through the roof, the upper interior (attic), and into the center of the house. Both houses’ interior starting temperatures were between 73°F and 74°F. By the end of experiment, the Leuco House had an end temperature of 77°F, and the Control House had an end temperature of about 80°F. The Control’s temperature increase, 7.2°F, was twice the amount of the Leuco House’s temperature increase, 3.6°F. This supports our hypothesis that the white reflects better than the darker colored roof. This also shows that using Leuchromic Paint is 100% more effective at cooling a house than a normal colored roof. Through this data we can conclude that the Leuco House reflected heat and kept the surface, interior, and attic of the model house cooler than our Control House. During another experiment to test the effectiveness of the UV protection on our paint, we compared one house with our Leuchromic Paint that had UV resistance sprayed on top, to another house containing Leuchromic Paint but without UV protection. Both were put under the same environment and exposed to ultraviolet radiation from the sun. After more than a week, we observed a slight fade in color on the Leuchromic Paint without UV protection. We predicted that some of the leuco dye must have deteriorated because of its vulnerability to UV rays. With the Leuchromic Paint containing the UV protection, there were no signs of fading or malfunctioning in the leuco dyes. This allows the paint to work properly and continue its color changing ability with no danger of degrading. This UV resistant spray was made by Krylon. Initially, we wanted to order UV resistance from Dupont, but we were unable to have it shipped to us through mail due to the ingredients in the UV resistance spray. If we used Dupont’s spray then we were guaranteed a long lasting UV protection. As for the Krylon UV spray, there was no guarantee, so we made sure to test it out on our Leuchromic Paint for several days. We would hope to be able to use Dupont’s UV resistance spray in the future for our experiment. An error in our experiment we encountered was attempting to identically match the color of the Control House with the Leuchromic Paint. We went to professionals to try to find the exact same paint color, but the matching technology they used had trouble matching the leuco dye. So the color had to be judged by eye and be as close to the gray we used as much as possible. Along with not having a complete black color, calculating the ratio, and figuring out the exact amount of paint, we wanted to have the experiment as controlled and 13 mistake­free as possible to guarantee the best and most valid results. We wanted to have many constant variables to focus on one manipulated variable which was the color of the roofs. We didn’t want anything to change except for the temperature. At first we planned on moving the angle of the lamp to demonstrate the sun’s movement across the sky, but realized it would be more beneficial to keep the lamp at one angle and keep it constant. Some other constant variables was the house's distance from the lamp, we made sure both houses roofs were 30 centimeters from the light bulb in the heat lamp, so neither house got more or less heat than the other. Another constant we used were the surrounding of the houses, both houses were kept away from windows and near each other. They were placed on lab benches with nothing surrounding them, this was to make sure nothing besides the heat lamps could influence their temperatures. To improve the experiment in the future there are several suggestions to enhance our data collection. It would be essential to conduct several trials under the same conditions. By having more trials, the data becomes more valid and averages can be pulled after consistency is seen. If we noticed drastic changes between each trial then corrections will be necessary for the procedure. However, we did conduct a few pre­experiments with the leuco dye. Once we got the shipment of thermochromic pigment, we tested it on small wooden blocks and placed them under lamps to see that they worked. More pre­labs were made with model roofs and with UV protection before the formal experiment was conducted to record data. Next time, we could have a long term UV experiment. We only tested our houses under the sun for a week since we were limited by the time we had. We would like to test the UV protection for possibly several months or even an entire year. Since Leuchromic Paint would be on roofs for more than just a couple of days, we could see if the UV protection protects the leuco dye for a long or short time. Another advancement to our project would be to upgrade to actual roofs on real houses. If we had the money and available resources we could test Leuchromic Paint on a real roof and record the temperatures of the surface of the roof, the attic, and the inside of the house to see if there is a difference with a control house. With this, more accurate data can be found and applied to form more rational conclusions. A recommendation given to us by one of the professors we interviewed suggested another way of absorbing heat during cold weather when the paint is black. He explained that we could somehow make the Leuchromic Paint in a form of plastic layering to put on roofs. There would be a small amount of space between the roof and the layer of plastic so that hot air can flow through and up towards the top of the roof. There would then be a fan in the middle of the peak that would blow the hot air down through pipes or vents into the inside of the home. If we had more resources and a bigger budget, this would be an excellent idea to test out on a real house to see how much warmer the house can get without electrical heating compared to a normal house. Through our experiment, recorded data, and quantitative/qualitative observations, we were able to find out that Leuchromic Paint is more effective at cooling a house than a house with ordinary paint. The Leuco House allowed less heat to transfer and the temperature rose by 3.6​
°F. While, the Control House with regular paint increased by 7.2°F. The color changing 14 roof was able to reflect light as it turned white and absorbed less heat while the dark gray roof continued to absorb light and heat the house. This experiment supports our hypothesis that using color changing roofs reflects heat in hotter temperature more effectively than standard dark roofs. Bibliography: "Advances in the Dyeing and Finishing of Technical Textiles." ​
Google Books​
. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2015. <​
https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=y11EAgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA3&dq=%22p
hotochromism%22+AND+%22leuco+dye*%22&ots=DQS6pS_IVf&sig=zfZD0mGTfVeiXAQk8
ssXhdTopXM#v=onepage&q=%22photochromism%22%20AND%20%22leuco%20dye*%22&
f=false​
> Kodama, Satoshi, Kohei Domoto, Akiko Sekine, Kotaro Fujii, and Hidehiro Uekusa. "Structural Understanding of Solid­state Photodimerization Reactions of Cinnamic Amide Derivatives in Terms of Reaction Cavities – Color Developer for Thermosensitive Paper." CrystEngComm 15.23 (2013): 4667. Web. 22 May 2015. <​
http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2013/ce/c3ce40130h#!divAbstract​
>. Nakazumi, Hiroyuki. "Chemistry and Applications of Leuco Dyes." ​
Google Books​
. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2015. <​
https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=ZDJVsQvWfvUC&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=%22p
hotochromism%22+%22leuco+dyes%22&ots=toGntZ8lFN&sig=kSSQWh2aHe2PlgYtUaHlee
ZLw10#v=onepage&q=%22photochromism%22%20%22leuco%20dyes%22&f=false​
>. Saini, Sajan. "Why Doesn't a Plain, White Piece of Paper Reflect Light, but a Mirror Does?" MIT School of Engineering​
. MIT, n.d. Web. 19 May 2015. <​
http://engineering.mit.edu/ask/why­doesn%E2%80%99t­plain­white­piece­paper­reflect­light­
mirror­does​
>. United States of America. Department of Energy. Office of Electricity Delivery & Energy Reliability. ​
Energy.gov​
. N.p., 27 Apr. 2015. Web. 19 May 2015. <​
http://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/air­conditioning​
>. Target Market Research
The Concept Chromatic team designed a survey to determine the target audience for color changing technology on roofs. Specifically it was determined how much interest consumers would have in color changing technology that would reduce cooling costs in their home. The survey was sent to all of the teachers in Region 15 schools. Based on the results, 15 we determined that the target audience for ​
Concept Chromatic's Leuchromic Paint​
would be people between the ages of 41­60 years old. Most of these respondents were homeowners for nine years or more. According to the survey results, the main social media platforms this audience uses are Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Therefore we will use these platforms to advertise and connect with our target audience. Would you be willing to change the exterior of your home to our product thus making your house more energy efficient? Yes: 63.2% No: 36.8% Of the people surveyed, 66.67% were willing to change the exterior of the homes to our ​
Leuchromic paint.​
73% of this subgroup preferred that the roof be changed (instead of the siding). Additionally, a majority of the respondents that were surveyed said that their homes are exposed to 7 to 10+ hours of sunlight. Based on these responses, we decided that the ​
Concept Chromatic's Leuchromic Paint​
would be best applied to the roof, and not the the siding, of homes. Of the 126 people surveyed, 100 of them stated that they spend “too much money” to heat and cool their home. The respondents we surveyed said they spend an average cost of $100­$500 for heating their home in the winter and an average cost of $100­$300 for cooling their home in the summer. This data proves that most of the respondents wanted to reduce their cooling costs. Therefore, ​
Concept Chromatic's​
​
Leuchromic Paint ​
for roofing surfaces would help these consumers lower their cooling costs. If a homeowner had ​
Concept Chromatic's Leuchromic Paint​
on their home it would decrease the amount of natural resources used to cool their home. Do you feel like you spend too much money on your heating and cooling bill? 16 Yes: 79.65% No: 20.6% According to the survey 76% of respondents use electricity powered cooling systems in their homes. The power plants that generate electricity emit pollutants, such as CO​
, into 2​
the atmosphere. If consumers use ​
Concept Chromatic's Leuchromic Paint,​
they will reduce the amount of electricity used to cool their home, which will decrease the amount of CO​
2 emissions and save natural resources. Our team, Concept Chromatic, used these survey results to determine the target audience for our product. Also we use it to find if there is market and how to market our product. Other information we have gotten from the results have been the average cost spent on cooling, which would help determine the money saved and the reduction of CO​
emissions 2​
by using our product. Campaign Information
Our Community Campaign consists of 2 parts, an informational video and website. For the video we have families; one family uses the Leuchromic Paint and the other family doesn’t use the paint. The Johnsons want to have a low impact on the environment, while saving money on their heating and cooling bill. They are your average American family of four in the Northeast. On the other hand, the Smiths are uptight, stuck up, and wealthy. They don’t want to have the Leuchromic Paint. They only want the most expensive roof to upstage their neighbors. The Johnsons are the family that represents Concept Chromatic and uses the paint. The Johnsons also appear on our Community Campaign website. Our website’s goal was to show how each family member communicates different aspects of our project. The father represents the problem that our project is addressing. He discusses the global warming issue relating to excessive amounts of carbon dioxide being emitted from electrical home appliances such as AC. The mother represents information about home energy audits. The daughter represents helpful ways to reduce your demand on heating and cooling resources even before using our paint, and the son represents Concept Chromatic’s Leuchromic Paint and its benefits. Throughout the process of this project, we attempted to partner with independent contractors or companies that deal with home energy audits. Home energy audits are a check 17 of your home in which ways to help you save energy within your home is detected. We’ve sent many emails to companies and people who give us information about our idea and questions if we had any. We were unsuccessful with reaching a partner, but we included information about where you can get access to these services in order to inform our community when they visit our site. Design Scheme / Sustainable Exhibition
We wanted to portray our color changing paint as an environmentally conscious product. The logo that you see at the top of the document may just look like a green house, but it has meaning behind it. The design includes a roofline because our product is applied to the roof of a home. The gradation shows it’s color changing ability. The reason that we chose to use the color green is because green symbolizes nature, energy, environment, money, and is even associated with meanings of growth. Because our target audience was 41­60 year­old homeowners of 9 years or more, we decided to incorporate the Johnson family in our Community Campaign, video, and EXPO booth. This family is what we like to call the family of the future. They’re innovative, just like our project, and concerned about their impact on the environment. The way that we addressed a sustainable exhibition space, was in a matter of different ways. One of the ways that we addressed it is for our table clothes, we used paper product. After the EXPO, this paper will then be put to use as a bulletin board in a classroom. Another way we addressed a sustainable exhibition is that the model houses are all made of plywood, which is made of a combination of many other woods into one. We also had to think about how much paper we would use in our booth, so the way that we decided to cut it down, is by using QR codes instead of paper handouts to show people our website. When we brought up the idea of give­a­ways in our booth, we thought that color changing pencils would be a great compliment to our project. The reason we thought this is because when people use pencils, most of the time they use them until they can’t be used anymore...they are also free­range. So as you can see, we have done many things in our EXPO booth so that we can balance our lives while leaving less of an environmental footprint. Press Release
May 28, 2015 For Immediate Release Concept Chromatic! Cooling Down Your Attic! We are a group of 9th students at Pomperaug High School enrolled in the Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences where we are very involved in the STEM areas of education. Focusing on these subjects, gives us the opportunity to present an innovative project at the Connecticut Student Innovation Expo. We will be competing at this event on June 6th at the XL center in Hartford Connecticut from 9:00am to 1:00pm. 18 The project that we are bringing to Expo addresses the problem of the overuse of natural resources in our homes. Our solution, Concept Chromatic’s Leuchromic Paint, is applied to your roof and changes color with the change in temperature. During the summer months, the paint will turn white, so that the rays of the sun are reflected away. Through our experiments we have found that this product does in fact, help to maintain a comfortable temperature in your home. We would like you to join us at the Student Innovation Expo at the XL center in Hartford CT, on June 6th from 9:00am to 1:00pm. so that you can see for yourself the fantastic projects that we have completed to help change the world. We hope to see you there. Check us out on social media: ​
Website ­ ​
conceptchromatic.org Facebook ­​
ConceptChromatic ​
Twitter ­​
@ConceptChrom ​
Instagram ­​
@concept_chromatic Research
Electromagnetic Spectrum: ○ The range of wavelengths or frequencies over which electromagnetic radiation extends ○ The electromagnetic spectrum ranges from radio waves which can have wavelengths the size of a few feet to gamma rays which can have a wavelength the size of a nucleus of an atom. ○ Has many different kinds of electromagnetic waves (main bands): ■ Gamma rays ■ X rays ■ Radio waves ■ Ultraviolet light ■ Visible light ■ Infrared rays ■ Microwaves ○ Radio waves carry the least amount of energy ○ Gamma rays carry the most energy ○ Objects sometimes give away waves in more than one band of the electromagnetic spectrum ○ All types of electromagnetic waves can be reflected, spread, and bent ○ Scientists figure out more about an object’s properties by observing the different kinds of electromagnetic waves that the object gives off. ○ Atoms and molecules absorb only a small range of frequencies from the spectrum, and they reflect all of the other frequencies and wavelengths of light. The reflected frequencies and wavelengths are usually the actual observed light or colors associated with an object. ○ Uses: ■ Doctors use gamma rays and X rays to diagnose medical issues and even to treat cancer. 19 ■ X rays are used at airports to find concealed objects. ■ Use radio waves in cell phones, radio, and TV broadcasting equipment UV Rays: ● UVA­ long waves sun's rays, rays travel below sea level ○ pass through windows ○ everyday present ○ 20x more abundant than uvb ● UVB­ short waves sun’s rays, rays travel above sea level ○ cannot pass through windows ○ middle of the day­summer ● UVC­ shortest and strongest ­ rays don’t pass through ozone layer, (not a problem) ● Thermochromic paints don’t last long unless they have a layer of UV ray protection ● Many of these UV blockers are very expensive. Reflection: ● Reflection occurs when uv rays hit a non­transparent object and the energy cannot be transferred, therefore it bounces off of said object ● White reflects most wavelengths of light, absorbing low amounts of heat ● If the object is opaque, then the vibrations of the electrons are not passed from atom to atom through the bulk of the material. Rather the electrons of atoms on the material's surface vibrate for short periods of time and then remit the energy as heat. Such frequencies of light are said to be reflected Absorption: ● When absorption occurs on a house roof, the electromagnetic waves that the sun gives off hits an object (the roof) causing the atoms that make up the roof vibrate and heat up due to the increase in energy. ● Black absorbs most wavelengths of light ● With colors like yellow and red, it all depends on the angle that the sunlight hits it and the amount of solar radiation received. ● If a light wave of a given frequency strikes a material with electrons having the same vibrational frequencies, than those electrons will absorb the energy of the light wave and transform it into vibrational motion. During its vibration, the electrons interact with neighboring atoms in such a manner as to convert its vibrational energy into thermal energy. Leuco dyes: ● These dyes are insoluble in water ● Leuco­ means “White” ● Definition: A dye whose molecules can acquire two forms: one is colored and one doesn’t have color. ● When the temperatures are warm, leuco dyes have color to them, then at cold temperatures leuco dyes do not have color to them. Science: ● When leuco dyes don’t have color, the molecules in the leuco dye lets the visible light goes right through them. However, when leuco dyes have color, the 20 molecules take in the visible light range and then reflect what has not been taken in. As a result, the reflected light is what gives the leuco dye the color. How they work ● absorb different wavelengths of light ● we see what is reflected isn’t absorbed and not transmitted into the object ● what changes the wavelengths the compound absorbs is ○ number of the pi electrons ■ chemical bond 2 electrons shared between two atoms ­covalent bond ■ double bond is 4 electrons ● ●
● Spiro form­ Form of leuco dyes before they change color ● Oxazine form­ Form of leuco dyes after they change color ● alternating double and single bonds (picture above) ○ bond in conjugation with each other = electronically connected ○ what feature changes the wavelengths absorbed depends on how many alternating single and double bonds ○ the more there are, the lower in energy the light is that’s absorbed by the object in other words, the light is in the visible spectrum which is colored black. ● Most organic molecules appear colorless because energy they do absorb is higher than electromagnetic spectrum because of the fewer alternating bonds ● Starts in the visible spectrum. When the spectrum is heated, the molecules will twist. 21 ● undergoing a ​
temperature change​
connects or disconnects depending on the direction of the reaction ● changes to colored because more of the bonds are connected and can absorb light in the visual region ● you can't see the clear form because they are not connected­ no double bond on the central atom Temperature Change ● not a chemical reaction ● flattens molecule’s shape ● force conformational change Ph Involvement ● Yes, pH is involved in the leuco dyes. ● Requires a base so the ph is increasing, you could use a base to bring back the structure in the molecule changing absorption properties Molecular level ● Alternating single and double bonds. ● Depends on many double bonds there are. ● Color form has to stay flat. Acid rain effect ● Not all dyes will be as sensitive ­ dependent on the molecular structure. ● pH scale is logarithmic one change is 10 fold so big change so keep in mind the acidity of rain. Classes of leuco dyes: ○ Triphenylmethane: ■ Aniline dyes: ● Transparent ● Oily ● Poisonous ● Liquid 22 ■ Malachite green: ● Used as a local antiseptic pharmaceutically in dilute solution ● Effective against gram­positive bacteria and fungi ● Used as a dye for silk, wool, cotton, and leather ■ China green: ○ Sulfur dyes: ■ Complex, inexpensive reaction mixtures ■ Used for darker colors, such as black, brown, blue, khaki, and green colors ■ Typically applied to blends of cellulosics with polyester, nylon, and acrylics ○ Indigo dyes: ■ Organic compound ■ Has a distinctive blue color ■ Naturally comes from a plant called “Indigofera tinctoria” ■ Used to dye cotton yarn for denim jeans ■ Also used to dye wool and silk ● Spiro form­ Form of leuco dyes before they change color ● Oxazine form­ Form of leuco dyes after they change color ● Uses: ○ Labels of microwavable foods ○ Color changing fabric used to make clothes (mainly T­Shirts) ○ Product labeling ○ Packaging ○ Game Pieces ○ Toys ● Related terms: ○ Chromophore ­ An atom or group whose presence is responsible for the color of a compound. ○ Halochromism ­ The color change which occurs on addition of acid (or base, or salt) to a solution of a compound. Thermochromic Crystals and Liquid Crystals: ○ Definition: D​
yes made from liquid crystals that change color reversibly when their temperature is changed. ○ other form of leuco dyes ○ Liquid Crystals (LCs) can be highly temperature sensitive and change to many colors. The Liquid Crystals start out black below the temperature range then they go through colors then back to black again but above the temperature range. ○ LCs are reversible so they can be used over and over again. ○ The difference between Leuco Dyes from Liquid Crystals is, ■ Leuco Dyes are more of a powdered substance / Liquid Crystals are more of a liquid substance ■ Liquid Crystals are more expensive than Leuco Dyes 23 ○
○
○
○
■ Leuco Dyes and Liquid Crystals both are reflecting the light from the sun and change color. Price: ■ Since the Liquid Crystal are harder to make the more expensive they are. However, we don’t know how much the Thermochromic Crystals are. Life Span: ■ The longer the Thermochromic Crystals the more are useful they would be to us. They don’t last long enough for them to be helpful to us. ■ Science: ■ There are TLC molecules which are highly sensitive to temperature, then change position in relation to the change in temperature. When the change of molecular structure occurs, it then effected the wavelengths of light that are being absorbed and/or reflected by the liquid crystals. By this happening there is an visible change in the color of the temperature. ■ color changes based on temp Uses: ■ Medical Devices ■ Aquarium and room thermometers ■ Advertising applications ■ Promotional pieces ■ Smart glass Liquid Crystal Displays (LCD): There are 2 types of liquid crystal displays: ● Encapsulated: the liquid crystal material is encapsulated in a 5­10 micron sphere suspended in a water based binder material­­ provides excellent protection. ● Unencapsulated: the material is in its native form­­ susceptible to contamination, however, once applied, produces brilliant colors. ● How Thermochromic Liquid Crystals Work (LCDs) ○ If you look us close at a television you will see very small pixels. Each one of these is effectively a separate red, blue, or green light that can be switched on or off very rapidly to make the moving color picture. ● Uses: ○ They are used for computers screens and T.V screens ○ Calculators ○ Cellphones UV Protection/ Blockers/ Inhibitors: ● Most plastics absorb certain wavelengths of UV. In doing so, the plastic will chemically degrade ● The degradation usually shows up as yellowing, or discoloration, loss of ductility, and even decomposition ● Thermochromic paints don’t last long unless they have a layer of UV ray protection ● Many of these UV blockers are very expensive 24 ● The material that you will use for UV protection, will have chemical properties, so it will absorb the energy in the UV region. ○ When the UV rays are absorbed by the shield it won’t be able to hit the dye that is under the protection coat. There are others such as sunglasses have these too. Krylon UV Top Coat: ● Clear finish protects surfaces from damaging UV light and harmful rays ● Permanent finish guards against fading so the coat won’t fade it’s permanent. ● Moisture resistant when it gets hot in the summer the it won’t effect the coat you have on the roof ● Smudge Proof ● Protects against fading ● Long lasting: “We don't have a performance guarantee or warranty in terms of years. Factors such as handling, the type of surface, use, weather conditions (sun, moisture, etc.) will vary.” ­Daniel Krylon Product Support ● DuPont Paint: ● Surface protector technology for automobiles Problem: Wasted energy​
: ○ When you make energy efficiency part of your everyday activities, you are reducing energy demand. Reducing demand means that less natural gas, coal and other resources are needed to produce energy. ­Energy fact sheet ○ This means less greenhouse gas emissions and cleaner air for all of us and cost savings for you. ­Energy fact sheet ​
Source: ​
U.S. Energy Information Administration, Short­Term Energy Outlook, October 2013 25 This chart shows what type of energy is most commonly used in each part of the US. Natural gas is the most commonly used in the northeast. Source: ​
U.S. Energy Information Administration, based on 2012 American Community Survey Fossil Fuels/emissions: ○ More than 90% of the 116 million homes in the United States are expected to have higher heating expenditures this winter (October 1, 2013­March 31, 2014) compared with last winter, mainly because of higher projected prices for 26 residential natural gas, propane, and electricity, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration's​
​
Short­Term Energy and Winter Fuels Outlook​
. ○ “Your home can be a greater source of pollution that your car. In fact, about 17 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions are generated from the energy used in houses nationwide. Energy Star homes use significantly less energy than other new homes.” ​
­Energy Fact Sheet Wasted money: ○ The average household spent more than $5,100 on all energy costs in 2007 (includes home energy bills and gasoline). ○ Yearly, each house in midrange climates, including Connecticut, spends over $2000 on heating oil yearly. ○ Heating and cooling costs account for about one­half of a typical home’s total energy bill. ­Energy fact sheet Source:​
Energy.gov How much do you spend Explanation:​
This chart shows how much money the average person spent on energy through transportation, and residential from 1970 to 2012. Existing Products/Solutions: Cool Roofs: ● Energy usage is reduced. A cool roof transfers less heat to the building below, so the building stays cooler and uses less energy for air conditioning. ● Reduced air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions: By lowering energy use, cool roofs decrease the production of associated air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. ● Improved human health and comfort: Cool roofs can reduce air temperatures inside buildings with and without air conditioning, helping to prevent heat­related illnesses and deaths. They would not be good in the northeast because cool roofs are made to reflect. They would be able to absorb heat for the winter months. Color changing roof material (MIT) Difference: 27 ● MIT students are working to design a roof tile that changes color to reflect light in the Summer and absorb it in the Winter ● Still being developed ● The tile uses commercial polymers and solvents encapsulated between layers of glass and plastic in their original prototype, and between flexible plastic layers with a dark layer at the back in second prototype. ○ Polymer­ Substances containing a large amount of basic units joined by the same type of connection ● When the weather is cold, their product (polymer) stays dissolved in the solvent which then lets the black backing show through. ● However when warm, the polymer contracts to form tiny droplets, which the small sizes scatter light and then produces a white surface, reflecting the sun's heat. ● Each tile cost less than the common asphalt shingle ● MIT doesn’t know if their product will hold under some weather conditions ● They are also worried about UV degradation What They Are Working On Now: ● Working on a simpler version, where the polymer solution that would be microencapsulated and the tiny capsules carried in a clear paint material that could be brushed or sprayed onto any surface. Tiny capsules would still have the color changing property however, the surface would be put over an existing black roof. Solar panels Pros: ● Will continue to produce solar power as long as the sun is there ● Solar energy is completely free ● Produces no pollution ● No emission ● No noise Cons: ● Isn’t available where it is usually cloudy, foggy, or just has a lot of trees ● Most solar panels have a 40% efficiency rate because not all of the solar radiation is absorbed ● Large initial cost ● Require a lot of space to install ● Solar panels take a lot of materials that need to be shipped overseas to make them Smart windows Pros: ● Create good privacy ● Energy savers ● a good replacement for air conditioning and shades/blinds Cons: ● Very expensive ● Takes several minutes to turn darker 28 ● The windows start from the corners and move into the middle when they turn dark ● Require high maintenance to keep running Green roofs Pros: ● Green roofs create extremely high roof insulation ● increased protection of roofs ● lower air conditioning costs Cons: ● cost a lot of money to install ● Occasionally cause the roofs to leak ● requires maintenance for the plant’s survival ● weight of the materials used has a high impact on the roof beams and the building structures themselves. Quick home fixes to make more heat/cool efficient ● Energy star furnace: An ENERGY STAR qualified furnace, when properly sized and installed, along with sealed ducts and a programmable thermostat, can save up to 20 percent on heating bills. ● Programmable thermostat: A programmable thermostat could save up to $150 per year on bills according to ENERGY STAR® ● Proper Insulation: You can reduce your home’s heating and cooling costs by as much as 20 percent through correct insulation and air sealing techniques. ● During summer, keep the window coverings closed during the day to block the sun's heat. ● Turn off kitchen, bath, and other exhaust fans within 20 minutes after you are done cooking or bathing; when replacing exhaust fans, consider installing high­efficiency, low­noise models. ● Place heat­resistant radiator reflectors between exterior walls and the radiators. ● Clean or replace filters on furnaces and air conditioners once a month or as recommended. ● During winter, keep the draperies and shades on your south­facing windows open during the day to allow the sunlight to enter your home and closed at night to reduce the chill you may feel from cold windows. ● Electricity is the standard form of energy to cool houses. Mr. Knapp Interview: Home efficiency Fast energy efficient tips ● Insulation foam Inside cracks in house ( especially in foundation because over time separates) ● Use a clothesline in the summer to dry your clothes (Sun=hot) ­ no drying machine ● Used shower head restrictors to limit use of hot water ● Change to new technology lights Led Time consuming fixes ● Our product Leuchromic Paint ● Better windows, lots of heat lost through windows 29 ● energy audit to find out how much energy and heat you are wasting ● Place more institution is the walls of the house ● The type of siding placed on your house can affect the insulation ● solar panels Big Energy Waste ● Poorly insulated homes ● Drying / washing machine ● Lights Solar panels Pro ● They allow you to cut down a lot on energy cost ● also will allow you to ave money with tax credits ● the energy company will pay you for your energy collected Con ● They are very expensive to install at first ● They won't collect a ton of solar energy in the winter Alternative energy sources? ● Windpower ● Nuclear power Money Saved from Eco Friendly house ● depends greatly on size of house and other factors ● it will be ultra beneficial because a one time fix will amount to lifetimes of savings ● so quite a bit of cash Scholarly Article Summaries: Global Cooling: Increasing World­Wide Urban Albedos to Offset CO2​
: Akbari, Hashem, Surabi Menon, and Arthur Rosenfeld. Global Cooling: Increasing World­Wide Urban Albedos to Offset CO2 (2008): n. pag. Web. 19 May 2015. By just increasing the proportion of the incident light or radiation that is reflected by a surface, we can lower the temperatures in the summer. That helps a lot of things such as lowering AC costs and the air quality will be better. If we start using reflective materials in urban areas, a net albedos will go up. That is good because there will be less solar radiation absorbed. If everything starts to cool down, the US could have savings up to one billion dollars a year. 30 Advances in the Dyeing Finishing of Technical Textiles : ​
"Advances in the Dyeing and Finishing of Technical Textiles." ​
Google Books​
. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2015. This discusses how chromic textiles work and are applied. Here it talks about the structure and what makes them change color. There are many different uses for chromic materials such as ophthalmics, electronics, and biomedicine. This material is a continually growing interest. Chemistry and Application Of Leuco Dyes​
: "Chemistry and Applications of Leuco Dyes." Google Books​
. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 May 2015. In the introduction it tells all about the structure of the ​
Spiropyran​
Leuco Dye. The structure starts to change under irradiation with UV lights. It starts as a common spiro carbon atom connected with a ​
heterocyclic ring​
. But under the UV lights it undergoes ​
heterolytic cleavage.​
When this happens there are two heterocyclic rings created. Then it goes on to tell how the structure works and the light changes the form. Bibliography
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