Infrared Reflective Pigments Enable Environmentally Friendly Architectural Coatings
Last update on Jan 17, 2022
We think of architectural paints as primarily decorative but what if we could make them function in other ways? What if those special attributes could make the surface and by extension, the building envelope more environmentally friendly? We can assess how environmentally friendly a product is by determining how sustainable that product is. The United Nations has established seventeen Sustainable Development Goals also known as the UNSDG. . These goals include a wide range of basic principles to advance the human condition, some are more amenable to using architectural coatings for their advancement than others.
Let's understand how architectural coatings can facilitate progress towards UN SDGs using Infrared Reflective Pigments.
Architectural Coatings Help Mitigate Climate Change
Climate change is an immediate threat to humankind, but one that can be addressed if broad-based actions are taken. There are lots of things that can be done to head off the catastrophic consequences of unchecked climate change. Architectural coatings can serve two purposes which can help mitigate climate change.
- First, they can reduce a structure's energy demand which lowers the building's greenhouse gas generation potential and carbon footprint.
- Second, by lowering surface temperatures they can reduce air temperatures of the areas adjacent to the built environment. Lower surface temperatures of buildings and other surfaces in densely populated areas reduce the 'Urban Heat Island Effect'.
How can we make architectural coatings that can facilitate progress towards UNSDG number 13 'Climate Action'?What ingredient can we formulate to make a coating which can reduce the energy demand of a building and lower the temperature of a surface?
The answer to both questions is InfraRed Reflective Pigments. This family of pigments contains both organic and inorganic pigments which allow for the reflection of infrared solar radiation. When infrared energy from the sun is reflected rather than absorbed lower surface temperatures result.
About 50 percent of the solar energy striking the earth's surface is contained in the Near-Infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. Three things can happen when radiant energy strikes a surface - reflection, transmission or absorption.
- Reflectance and transmission have a negligible effect on the surface temperature of the object exposed to the radiant energy.
- Absorption of infrared radiation by an object increases motion within the bonds of the molecules making up that object, this molecular motion is what we call heat and is measured as an increase in temperature.
Architectural coatings containing Infrared reflective pigments
reduce the absorption of infrared energy and lower the surface temperatures of the object they are applied to. If that object is the roof or wall of a building, the interior temperature is also lower since the conduction of heat from the surface to the interior is also reduced. Lower interior temperatures make the building more comfortable for the occupants. If the building is air-conditioned, less energy is needed to cool the building. The net effect is that the building's carbon footprint is reduced since less greenhouse gas generates the energy needed for the building's operation.
Since buildings are one of the largest global generators of greenhouse gases, reducing building energy demand can contribute substantially to furthering the UNSDG. Roof and exterior wall architectural coatings containing IR reflective pigments are gaining popularity as means to reduce building temperatures. Building codes and energy company rebate programs are two means of promoting their use in areas such as the American southwest. When summer electricity demands increase, IR reflective coatings can help lighten the load, allowing renewable sources like solar and wind energy to supply the needed power without using coal and natural gas generation plants.
Watch Webinar: Check out the benefits of using Infrared Reflective Pigments for outdoor applications »
IR Reflective Pigment Coatings for a Sustainable Tomorrow
Besides lowering the carbon footprints of buildings, how can IR reflective pigmented coatings help further sustainability? UNSDG number 11 'Sustainable Cities and Communities' addresses comfort and livability in inhabited areas of the world. Average nighttime air temperatures are increasing globally. Much of this increase can be attributed to the 'Urban Heat Island Effect'.
This happens when buildings, streets and parking lots absorb IR energy during the daytime and reradiate that heat energy to the local atmosphere. Reducing daytime surface temperatures of the manmade structures like buildings and streets, lessens the Urban Heat Island Effect making that area more livable and sustainable.
One of the sayings of early leaders of the environmental movement in the United States was 'Think Globally, Act Locally'. Architectural coatings with IR reflective pigments applied to the roofs and walls of buildings can think globally by reducing the generation of greenhouse gases. These same coatings applied to streets and parking lots can act locally to reduce the Urban Heat Island Effect right where you and I live.
Key Formulation Strategies for Rapid Development in Heat Reflective Coatings
Join Mr. Wallace Kesler where he will present an overview of energy-efficient heat reflective coatings, formulation strategies to achieve maximum reflectance, and future prospects of the technology.
