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INTRODUCTION
“Change is the only constant” is a phrase every industry can relate to; Humans have always
strived to make new products which provide us with a strategic advantage, it could be in the
form of better quality, an ease to operate, an ease of manufacturing, etc. In the recent history of mankind, polymers have taken the centre stage when it comes to innovation in a sustainable manner. From a small screw to the body of a giant airplane, polymers and related materials have played their part. The housing industry is no exception to this trend. It has seen many traditional parts used in construction, designing, etc be substituted with their polymer counterparts for they provided with better physical, mechanical and in some cases even better aesthetic properties.
One such particular trend could be seen in the rising demands of uPVC profiles for windows and doors, over the traditional Aluminium profiles.
uPVC PROFILES
The Indian profile market saw an increase in the use of Unplasticized PVC(uPVC) profiles in the early 2000s, this was because of its excellent processability which accounted for its better properties like:
Low Maintenance
Higher durability
Environment-Friendly
Ability of absolute water tightness
It is recyclable in nature
Reduced Noise Pollution
Better safety
Excellent resistance to fire
Superior Cost-to-performance ratio
One of the biggest success of these uPVC profile in the Indian Market was their good thermal insulation as compared to aluminium profiles. They provided for 3x times better insulation, and thus, helped in energy-consumption in offices and houses.
CURRENT CHALLENGES
India is a country which receives a solar radiation higher than the global average. In fig. 1, we could clearly see that the amount of irradiation India is exposed to is quite high which makes it all the more important to make products that are not hindered by the high exposure to solar energy. The energy of sunlight is divided into 5% of UV light, 45% of visible light and the rest of the 50% is contributed by near Infrared light.( as shown in fig. 2)
Infrared radiation is popularly known as "heat radiation". Infrared light from the Sun accounts for 49% of the heating of Earth, with the rest being caused by visible light that is absorbed then re-radiated at longer wavelengths. Thus, half of the solar energy is comprised of IR radiation. Therefore, the heating effect of IR radiation are far superior as compared to UV radiations. Although, uPVC profile manufacturers are currently providing excellent UV sensitivity, most manufactures turn a blind-eye or are unaware of the damages caused by IR radiation. This is where IR reflective pigments are helpful.
IR REFLECTIVE PIGMENTS
IR reflective pigments provide with a colourful solution to the heat build-up, by reducing the temperature by almost 25 o C. They reflect back the IR radiation, and prevent heat accumulation in the profile. In heat-intensive regions like some of the western parts of India and the continent
of Australia, IR reflective pigments are the perfect solution.
IR reflective pigments helps in:
Avoiding the bending of profile(as shown in fig. 3) due to heat accumulation
Imparts a better weather fastness to the colour. Thus, fading of colour(as shown in fig. 4) over time is avoided.
It gives an alternative over the traditional use of Carbon Black as a colour. In recent years, it has been observed that it is futile to use Carbon Black, this is because although it absorbs the irradiated energy which helps in controlling the temperature inside, it heats up the profile intensely.
It provides a wide variety of colour scheme to the manufacturer, even imparting dark colours like dark brown, Anthracite grey, black, etc. to the profile without any potential risk of heat build-up.
It provides for a better scope at Energy conservation, as it reduces the risk of increase in temperature of the places where it is used.
It helps in improving the lifetime of a profile.
For more information contact polymeradditives@chemvera.com