Insulative paint
Encyclopedia
Insulative paint is commonly thought to be paint
Paint
Paint is any liquid, liquefiable, or mastic composition which after application to a substrate in a thin layer is converted to an opaque solid film. One may also consider the digital mimicry thereof...

 containing ceramic
Ceramic
A ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous...

 micro-spheres that have the same heat reflective properties as the tiles on the space shuttle
Space Shuttle
The Space Shuttle was a manned orbital rocket and spacecraft system operated by NASA on 135 missions from 1981 to 2011. The system combined rocket launch, orbital spacecraft, and re-entry spaceplane with modular add-ons...

. This is a misconception that has come about due to marketing by paint manufacturers. The Space Shuttle does not use ceramic microspheres as insulation but instead uses a proprietary ceramic based material that has the feel and weight of typical styrofoam.

Ceramic microspheres were developed by [3M- reference: http://www.compositesworld.com/articles/microspheres-fillers-filled-with-possibilities) and are used as lightweight fillers for plastics, putties, as well as in paint. Many micro-spheres are hollow and some are solid. Hollow microspheres may be filled with inert gas or a vacuum however when used in paint they do not have nearly enough mass to act as miniature thermos
Thermos
Thermos may refer to:* A vacuum flask generically known as a "thermos"* a brand of domestic vacuum flask made by Thermos L.L.C.* Thermos , an ancient Greek city, the capital city of the Aetolian League...

 bottles as is the commonly advertised claim.

The areas of the space shuttle that have the highest heat loading due to friction upon the shuttle's re-entry with the earths atmosphere are coated with a black carbon material (reference: http://depts.washington.edu/matseed/mse_resources/Webpage/Space%20Shuttle%20Tiles/Space%20Shuttle%20Tiles.htm) which reflects over 90% of the friction induced heat that the shuttle experiences upon rentry. A true "Insulative" or "Insulating paint" uses a parallel technology where a broad spectrum thermally reflective coating is applied to a specific type of micro-spheres to block heat radiation
Electromagnetic radiation
Electromagnetic radiation is a form of energy that exhibits wave-like behavior as it travels through space...

 in a much larger or broader range of thermal energy (heat)to dissipate heat rapidly.( reference: http://www.sti.nasa.gov/tto/Spinoff2007/ch_4.html ) This type of coated thermally reflective material (coated micro-sphere) reduces heat transfer through the coating with 90% of solar infrared
Infrared
Infrared light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength longer than that of visible light, measured from the nominal edge of visible red light at 0.74 micrometres , and extending conventionally to 300 µm...

 radiation and 85% of ultraviolet
Ultraviolet
Ultraviolet light is electromagnetic radiation with a wavelength shorter than that of visible light, but longer than X-rays, in the range 10 nm to 400 nm, and energies from 3 eV to 124 eV...

radiation being radiated back from the coated surface. A true "Insulative" or "Insulating" paint works bi-directionally (reflects heat coming from either direction toward the painted surface. An example of this would be an exterior wall of a building to which an "Insulative" or "Insulating" paint has been applied. Solar induced heat (direct sunlight) is reflected from the surface as well as heat (winter months) that is migrating through the wall outward toward the colder outside air. A "thermal Image" or infra-red photograph will clearly show the reduction of winter time heat loss from a home through areas that have been painted with a true "Insulative" or "Insulating" paint.
(reference: http://www.insuladd.com/product-info/seeitwork.html or http://www.thermakote.com)
The ability to reflect or block heat from all sources such as fireplaces, heaters, and radiators inside a building as well as sunlight is the value of a true "Insulative" or "Insulating" paint. (reference: http://www.nasa.gov/topics/nasalife/green_paint.html) These products reduce the work (heat loading) that "resistance insulation" such a fiberglass, foam, and rock wool have to do. These are typical insulation materials used in walls as well as ceilings of buildings.
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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