The main components of heatinsulating points are vacuumed microceramic hollow particles (Ceramic Bubbles) that contain inner gas inside. These ceramic microballs have absolutely minimal warmth conductivity and at the same time maximal heat reflecting performance. They are able to distribute themselves regularly in the structure of the coating and create so a uniform ceramic membrane. When using different kinds of ceramisc these microballs put themselves into regular layers.

The most succesful usage was achieved in NASA when trying to develop a heat shield for space shuttles that thanks to the thermoceramic technology resisted extreme heat fluctulations.

On the basis of this the producer SPI II Inc. USA has decided to collaborate in developing of their main product Super Therm® with the research centres (NASA). Succesful development of the insulating coating with inimitable characteristies succeded in particular thanks to collaboration of the scientists and ceramic engineers from Marshall Space Center (NASA). After 2 - year - testing of more than 600 different kinds of ceramic components 3 ceramics with the greatest ability of radiation reflection and the smallest heat conductivity were ultimately selected. Later researches proved inevitability of blocking also infrared radiation. Therefore the fourth ceramic membrane was added. Applying knowledge from space enviroment a unique thermoceramic coaing for civil usage was created.
The developers of the Super Therm® coating accomplished their most important task - the coating provided not only the heat reflection like other ceramic "heat - reflecting" coatings on the market but also blocked all the heat transfer.

Super Therm® thus contains not only one reflecting ceramic membrane, but four different ceramic membranes:

The patented four ceramic membrane enables Super Therm® to be a real "insulation shield" and not only a "heat reflector" like common ceramic coatings. Super Therm® was tested and applied in NASA Space Flight Center as the only commercial thermoceramic coating. The developers of Super Therm® rely upon the latest scientific research of ceramic technologies.

High-performance thermal reflection + low absorptive emissivity + high radiative emissivity + conductive resistance = the splendid thermal insulation Super Therm®.

The principle of operation of Super Therm® thermal insulative coating is based on thermal reflection, very low absorptive emissivity and its ability to very quickly dissipate unreflected residual heat while simultaneously blocking its transfer to the surface beneath.

The essential ingredient of the coating is special hollow ceramic micro-balls 50-100 microns in size which give the material its thermo-reflective and thermal insulative properties. Ceramic materials are very poor conductors of heat, and excellent insulators.

Super Therm® contains 4 types of ceramic:

Every material absorbs some energy and reflects the rest back. Ordinary coatings or building materials reflect back only around 30% of thermal energy and absorb the rest into themselves. Moreover, as a result of their high absorptivity, heat accumulated in them over time leading to a gradual increase in temperature.

Super Therm® thermoreflective insulative coating reflects up to 95.9% of thermal radiation while blocking the passage of residual heat to the material beneath (roofs, walls, etc.). Additionally, thanks to low absorptive emissivity, its surface temperature does not increase, remaining cool throughout the day.

Emissivity is examined in two ways: 1. absorptively and 2. radiatively (in terms of the intensity of heat repulsion from the surface):

Materials with matte black surfaces have high absorptive emissivity approaching the maximum limit of 1.0 retain a large volume of radiation. In contrast, bodies with lustrous surfaces such as mirrors or burnished aluminium have low emissivities around 0.08 and thus retain practically no radiation within themselves. Super Therm® has the incredibly low absorptive emissivity value of 0.05.

Comparison of absorptive emissivities:

Contrarily Super Therm® has very high (more than 95%, or 0.95 value) infrared radiative emissivity, meaning that it is extremely effective in shedding even the smallest amount of heat it might absorb.

The result is that even with day-long solar heating and 40 °C temperatures, Super Therm® remains cool on its surface all day. This unique property differentiates it from ordinary ceramic and reflective coatings.

The described thermoreflection, low absorptive emissivity and simultaneous high IR radiative emissivity are the basis of Super Therm® coating’s thermal insulating capabilities. Because the more heat is reflected from the surface, the less heat will be absorbed and flow to what’s beneath.

Furthermore, the special ceramic also impedes the flow of unreflected solar heat into the surface below. In tests, Super Therm® coating reduced the BTU conductivity of material from 350 BTU to 3.77 BTU (BTU – British Thermal Unit).

Super Therm®, unique properties, especially its ability to keep surfaces cool even in extreme temperatures, enabled the coating to pass muster in the California “COOL ROOF” engineering research programme with the highest marks.

Results from the COOL ROOF programme:

During the 12-year programme, 26 million square feet of roofing material were coated during all seasons and under all conditions. (You can read more about the COOL ROOF programme on our website in the ROOFING SYSTEMS section).

The HEAT LOAD falling on a surface is key to the need for insulation and also determines the amount of heat which will be transferred on into the building.

If the initial HEAT LOAD is reduced then the amount of heat transferred inside the building by conduction or convection is also automatically reduced and this enables the reduction of the thickness of insulating layers, which is crucial for standard batting or foam insulation.

Standard insulation materials are subject to up to 100% of the initial heat load from the heat source and therefore their thickness is determined depending on the amount of heat they can retain, and thus retard HEAT TRANSFER into the building. Super Therm® works mainly on the principle of handling the initial HEAT LOAD arriving at the surface, and thus the thickness of the insulating layer is not crucial.

Super Therm® has demonstrated that its reflectivity can reduce the initial radiative heat load falling on a surface by 95%. This means that roofs or exterior walls will be burdened by only 5% of the HEAT LOAD which is attempting to be transferred on into the building. So, after coating, the building will be subject from the start to only the residual heat load, whose further transfer through the structure by convection or conduction Super Therm® blocks as well.

Standard insulation materials must absorb up to 100% of the HEAT LOAD and therefore depend greatly on their thickness, because the thickness determines the length of time over which they can prevent heat transfer into the building by retaining it. Therefore, Super Therm® can’t be compared to classical insulation based on R-value or K-value, which are calculated based on the thickness of the material.

Super Therm® is designed so that it blocks the initial heat load and then handles only the residual unreflected heat. It is not designed to absorb the entire heat load as does classical insulation, where accumulated heat gradually leaks into the building even at night.

Super Therm® is mainly used, therefore, as a peerless, highly-effective means to block direct solar radiation and its transfer to the building and to prevent the serious 21st century problems of global warming.

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