Editing Paint (section)

==Types==

=== Pigmented ===
Through the 20th century, paints used [[pigments]], typically suspended in a liquid.

=== Structural ===
In the 21st century, "paints" that used structural color were created. [[Aluminium]] flakes dotted with smaller aluminium [[nanoparticle]]s could be tuned to produce arbitrary colors by adjusting the nanoparticle sizes rather than picking/mixing minerals to do so. These paints weighed a tiny fraction of the weight of conventional paints, a particular advantage in air and road vehicles. They reflect heat from sunlight and do not break down outdoors. Preliminary experiments suggest it can reduce temperatures by 20 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit vs conventional paint. Its constituents are also less toxic.<ref name=":0">{{Cite magazine |last=Levy |first=Max G. |title=This Is the Lightest Paint in the World |language=en-US |magazine=Wired |url=https://www.wired.com/story/lightest-paint-in-the-world/ |access-date=2023-03-24 |issn=1059-1028}}</ref>

Making the paint starts with a thin double-sided mirror. The researchers deposited metallic nanoparticles on both sides of the sheet. Large sheets were ground to produce small flakes.<ref name=":0" />