Mar 28 2011
Cabot Corporation (NYSE: CBT) will be launching its EnovaTM aerogel, a high-performance thermal insulation additive for coatings, at the 2011 European Coatings Show, to be held in Nuremberg, Germany, March 29-31.
Cabot's EnovaTM product line consists of aerogel, the world's best insulating solid, in particle form. Each particle is composed of more than 90 percent air trapped within a network of amorphous silica, making it twice as insulating as still air. The EnovaTM product range enables coatings which provide significant improvements in energy usage, asset protection, safety and comfort.
The exceptionally low thermal conductivity of EnovaTM aerogel, 12 mW/mK, is far superior to traditional insulation such as polyurethane foam (typically 30 mW/mK)and additives such as glass or ceramic microspheres. When used in water-borne formulations, the resultant coating can achieve a thermal conductivity of 30 mW/mK to 50 mW/mK, which is seven to 10 times more insulative than standard paint.
Cabot researchers have found that applying a 1mm coating containing EnovaTM aerogel to a 200°C metal surface meets US and European testing protocols for safe touch temperature, preventing the first-degree burns one would normally expect within five seconds of skin contact. A thicker application such as a 2mm coating results in a reduction in energy use of 30 percent for uninsulated metal vessels maintained at 70°C. This can easily translate to potential applications as wide ranging as home and commercial appliances, process piping, building and tank storage.
EnovaTM aerogel is a robust material that is easily incorporated into formulations using standard methods. It is manufactured by Cabot at a state-of-the-art facility in Frankfurt, Germany, which controls the material's porosity, pore size and distribution. Cabot's aerogel products are safe for human and ecological systems, and are already used extensively in demanding architectural daylighting applications and subsea oil and gas pipeline insulation around the world.
"EnovaTM aerogel creates a paradigm shift in how the industry thinks about insulation and coatings, two products which were once mutually exclusive," said James Pidhurney, Cabot Corporation global segment manager. "In the past, if you wanted flexibility in a coating, you had to compromise on insulation performance. With EnovaTM aerogel, our customers won't have to compromise. EnovaTM additives enable a new class of coatings that deliver the performance of traditional insulation and the flexibility of a coating in a single product."
Cabot Aerogel will exhibit as part of a larger Cabot booth at stand 515, hall 9 at the European Coatings Show 2011, and will provide an interactive demonstration of insulative coatings.