How Arctic® Technology Works

The growing interest in Energy Efficient and 'Eco-friendly' materials is huge and shows no signs of slowing down. Infrared-reflective, or 'cool', products is one of the most talked about of these technologies. It is also one of the most misunderstood.

Many references in literature have equated 'cool products' with white products. Certainly white objects are good reflectors of the sun's heat. However, offering 'any color as long as it is white' is not a viable design strategy.

Arctic® Infrared-reflective pigments allow for the design of products that remain cool under the sun - without sacrificing color! The benefits include energy savings, longer product life, cooler cities and improved quality of life

The Nature of Sunlight and Color

Light energy from the sun spans a wide range of wavelengths. Much of the total energy is absorbed in our atmosphere and never reaches the Earth’s surface. The light that does get through ranges from 300-2500 nanometers (nm) in wavelength

A portion of this sunlight is visible to the human eye, and it is these wavelengths, from 400-700 nanometers, that are responsible for color. If an object reflects across this entire wavelength range, then it is white. Black surfaces absorb these wavelengths. If some regions of this light are absorbed and others reflected, then the object is colored. For example, an object that absorbs all visible light except the region 400-450 nm appears blue to our eyes, while another that reflects only 650-700 nm light has a red color

Other solar wavelengths are invisible to us. Ultraviolet light (<400nm) is full of energy and is responsible for sunburn. Infrared (IR) light (>700nm) is less energetic but comprises a large percentage of the solar energy that actually reaches us. Both Ultraviolet and Infrared light are invisible, and have no affect on color. However, all light, whether visible or invisible, will heat an object that absorbs it. The more solar energy the object absorbs, the greater the heat build-up. Conversely, the greater the reflectivity of an object, the less it will build up heat sitting under the sun.

Two objects can be identical in visible color, yet have very different reflectance characteristics in the Infrared spectrum. The object that reflects IR-light will remain cooler than the object that absorbs it. And because IR-light comprises fully half of sunlight, the IR-reflectivity of an object is even more important than its color when it comes to heat build-up. In other words, an object doesn’t have to be white to be cool.

A Pigment's Role

Pigments are powders that are mixed into materials to impart color (see figure). A pigment’s color is due to its selective absorption/reflection of visible light. There are thousands of types of pigments and each has its unique shade based on its specific pattern of reflectance/absorptance of visible light. Likewise, each pigment has distinct IR-reflective characteristics.

Shepherd’s Arctic pigments reflect Infrared light. As a result, color shades utilizing a combination of Arctic pigments will exhibit greater Total Solar Reflectance (TSR) than the exact same color made with conventional pigments.

In addition to their reflective properties, pigments can differ in their weatherability, chemical resistance, and other durability criteria. Arctic pigments are Complex Inorganic Pigments (CICP), a class of pigments famous for their extreme resistance to the elements. They show almost no change in color after three decades of exposure to the South Florida sun (see figure). For this reason, they are the pigments of choice for products that are warranted against fading for 25 years or more.

Cool, IR-reflective products can be formulated without sacrificing color or performance!

Cool Benefits

Arctic pigments counteract solar-induced heat build-up. Why is this important?

Cool products last longer
One simple way to preserve materials is to refrigerate them. Heat accelerates chemical reactions, including those responsible for the degradation of physical, chemical or optical properties. Certain polymers, such as polyesters, are known to be sensitive to solar-induced heat build-up and will lose gloss, color, and physical properties. Arctic® pigments mitigate solar-induced heat build-up – and the destructive events associated with it.

Cool roofs save energy
A cool roof decreases a building’s cooling load. The U.S. Department of Energy has found the energy savings provided by a reflective roof so significant that they have made roofing a part of its EnergyStar program. States and Municipalities have followed suit and offered incentives, rebates, or otherwise written reflective roofs into their building codes. Arctic® pigments provide the reflectivity behind these cool roofs.

Cool roofs reduce urban temperatures and air pollution
As vegetation has been replaced by non-reflective materials, our cities have grown steadily warmer. This places a heavy demand on peak energy loads, and creates health risks in non-air conditioned edifices. In addition, heat generates smog, with its associated impact on urban residents’ health. Arctic® pigments contribute to keeping our cities cool by maximizing the reflectivity of man-made surfaces, such as roofs and pavement.

Cool products enhance quality of life
Schools, homes, warehouses, factories, vehicles, pavements. Any surface that is exposed to sunny environments can develop uncomfortable levels of heat. Arctic® IR-reflective pigments work to decrease this heat build-up – and enhance the occupants’ quality of life.