Beetle scales hold secret to creating sustainable paint from recycled plastic, research shows

Posted On: 2019-09-03

"Cyphochilus beetle scales are one of the brightest whites in nature and their ultra-white appearance is created by the nanostructure in their tiny scales, as opposed to the use of pigment or dyes...  Conventional white paint contains nanoparticles of titanium dioxide, which scatter light very strongly. However, the use of titanium dioxide is harmful to the environment as it contributes to nearly 75 per cent of the carbon footprint of each tin of paint that is produced."

Resource:

https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/news/nr/beetle-scales-sustainable-paint-recycled-plastic-1.861566