07.15.19
Nippon Paint Marine released Ever Cool, a specially formulated coating designed to reduce the effect of the Sun’s infrared rays on ship operations.
For example, the temperature difference between a deck coated with conventional paint system and one with Ever Cool can be up to about 28°C (82.4°F), with the specially formulated coating reflecting up to 80 percent of the Sun’s heat from colored coatings.
Requiring no special application tools or processes, Nippon Paint Marine uses advanced formulated reflective pigments to prevent surface temperature increases and lower heat transfer through steel plate and other structures.
During tests on the compass deck of a Panamax bulk carrier, heat sensors recorded a surface temperature of 70°C (158°F) on conventionally coated areas and 42°C (107.6°F) on areas applied with Ever Cool.
A similar test carried out over six months took place on the deck above a vessel’s wheelhouse. Measuring some 4,379 different points, the sensors registered no solar reflecting effects during the low-temperature months of January and February, but when the mercury began to rise from March, “We noticed a huge amount of solar reflectance,” said Olaf Töbke, director, Nippon Paint Marine (Europe).
Where a conventional grey polyurethane coat had a deck surface temperature of 71°C (159.8°F), the grey colored Ever Cool was 23°C cooler.
Ever Cool in green had a temperature of 51°C (123.8°F) against the 64°C (147.2°F) of a similar colored epoxy. Red-colored polyurethane and epoxy-coated decks each had a surface temperature of 71°C, while the red-colored Ever Cool was 54°C.
“By reducing the surface temperatures of exposed decks, shipbuilders can reduce the insulation requirement, while ship operators can reduce the air conditioning/chiller load, saving fuel and improving the onboard conditions for passengers and crew, especially in tropical climates," Töbke said.
In addition to decks, the heat resistant coating can also be applied to the topside of ballast water and cargo tanks, to ensure their contents remain at a safe and steady temperature. The technology is also applicable to LNG insulated tanks to lower boil-off gases.
While new to the maritime sector, Nippon Paint has supplied solar reflective paint (SRP) to other industries for a number of years.
The technology is used in the building industry to coat aluminum cladding and a Japanese car manufacturer is using the paint to reduce the interior temperature of parked cars. The car manufacturer found that an SRP-coated car can reduce internal temperatures by about 11 percent compared to a conventionally painted car.
