Waterborne Thermal Insulation Coatings

Abstract The inadvertent transfer of thermal energy in industrial settings leads to a variety of issues such as heat loss from processing equipment and piping, increased energy usage, worker safety issues from contact with hot or cold surfaces, and associated costs. The traditional insulation methods to combat these issues include use of materials such as fiberglass and polyurethane foam, however thick layers of insulation can often hide severe maintenance problems such as corrosion under insulation (CUI). CUI occurs when moisture and condensation come into contact with steel surfaces underneath the insulation, and can go undetected because the damage is not visible until the insulation is removed. An alternate solution to traditional insulation is the use of thin film, thermal insulation coatings. Waterborne coatings based on low thermal conductivity fillers, such as hollow glass spheres and silica aerogels, can be applied to surfaces in thicknesses of a few millimeters and provide thermal insulating properties. This paper will discuss the formulation and application properties of thermal insulation coatings based on waterborne acrylic and epoxy resins. Their potential use in thermal insulation and safe-touch applications will be described through results on thermal conductivity, the ability to reduce energy usage, safe-touch properties, and corrosion performance in multi-layer systems.