Radiative Cooling Properties of Portlandite and Tobermorite: Two Cementitious Minerals of Great Relevance in Concrete Science and Technology

Although concrete and cement-based materials are the most engineered materials employed by mankind, their potential for use in daytime radiative cooling applications has yet to be fully explored. Due to its complex structure, which is composed of multiple phases and textural details, fine-tuning of concrete is impossible without first analyzing its most important ingredients. Here, the radiative cooling properties of Portlandite (Ca(OH)2) and Tobermorite (Ca5Si6O16(OH)2·4H2O) are studied due to their crucial relevance in cement and concrete science and technology. Our findings demonstrate that, in contrast to concrete (which is a strong infrared emitter but a poor sun reflector), both Portlandite and Tobermorite exhibit good radiative cooling capabilities. These results provide solid evidence that, with the correct optimization of composition and porosity, concrete can be transformed into a material suitable for daytime radiative cooling.