Thermal Insulation Coatings – Controlling

By Leo J. Procopio

aints and coatings are typically used to
beautify and protect, but there are many
examples of specialty coatings that serve
other functions. 1,2 The development of these
“functional” coatings has been a trend in the
industry for many years, and there are numerous
examples such as soft-feel coatings for consumer
electronics 3,4 , sound-damping coatings for mit-
igating noise in automobiles 5,6 , and antimicro-
bial coatings designed to kill microorganisms
that come into contact with the coated surface7
.
Another trend in the paint and coatings industry
has been the development of coatings that con-
trol the use of energy.
Access to energy is an important global driver
for economic growth, and how we generate,
efficiently use, and ultimately conserve energy
has important consequences for the future of
our environment and society. Coatings technol-
ogy has an important role to play in this ongo-
ing struggle. 8 For example, coatings that can
be cured at lower temperatures inherently use
energy more efficiently.