White roof coatings have existed in hot countries for a long time. These coatings help to reflect solar energy back into the atmosphere, rather than heating up the building. To achieve this white finish, pigments and fillers like titanium dioxide and calcium carbonate are used.
This article demonstrates that, with the use of hollow glass microspheres in a coating, one can achieve a high level of total solar reflection with the dry film. This helps to reduce the need for energy-intensive cooling systems.
It is worth noting that there are many coating applications possible with this technology and that it is not just restricted to improving the energy efficiency of buildings. Other examples that would benefit from the use of solar heat reflective coatings include caravans, mobile homes, cold storage distribution centres, refrigerated vehicles, oil and gas storage tanks, cryogenic tanks and tankers, and deck coatings.
Total solar emission is shown in the spectrum below. It comprises UV, visible and IR radiation – the latter responsible for heating. In this article, we will show that hollow glass microspheres offer an excellent level of reflection in both the visible and IR regions of the spectrum.
This article comes from l-i edit released
