TEMPERATURE-CONTROL COATING

 Q. I work for an electronic equipment manufacturer. We are developing a small, thermally sensitive electronic enclosure unit which is carried on a boat. The temperature developed inside the unit is around 70°C. It is exposed to sun and also the marine atmospheric conditions all the time. Since it’s a water-tight unit, no vents are can be provided and no external refrigeration unit can be used. Can you suggest any coatings or paints that will protect the unit from solar radiation heating and keep the temperatures low within the unit? R.V.

A. What you need is a temperature-control coating with high thermal emmisivity and low thermal absorbtivity. Formulators of coatings for spacecraft will be able to supply such a material.

As you know, the substrate will have to be properly pretreated to accept the candidate coating. and it must be applied according to the supplier’s recommendations. Suppliers of these coating materials can be found in the Products Finishing Directory and Technology Guide under Coatings, military and government specifications. They can also be found on the Web at www.pfonline.com.