Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) has released the first affordable, eco ecological, thermal spray coating, Spray-IT, for building and glass materials in order to reduce energy costs.
This coating can be easily used on tile or window surfaces at new or existing buildings through a high-pressure spray system for preventing the leakage of heat out of the building and protecting from unsafe UV rays into the buildings. The 2011 Wall Street Journal - Technology Innovation Award will be given to this new technology.
ITRI's Spray-IT is the first eco-friendly, thermal spray coating for use on glass and building materials to lower energy costs
The eco-friendly thermal insulation coating, Spray-IT, applied to the external tiles or window glass can cut down the energy bills considerably and can also reduce the harmful cumulative impact mass energy has on the environment.
Different materials are used in this coating ensure high-insulation performance with cost-savings and this is more cost-effective than silver, which is normally used in such applications. An optical system design is used in this Spray-IT, which offers lithium-fluorine doped with tin oxide, LiFTO, which is ideal for spraying onto tile surfaces or glass directly to create an insulation layer. LiFTO can be easily applied indoors and in open-air conditions. Development and use of this coating material are easy and inexpensive and also reduces electric bills.
Similar to other coating methods, this Spray-IT technology will work under the same principle. It is the only easy-to-apply spray available. Unnecessary UV rays are reflected by this spray and light is allowed to pass easily. ITRI is analyzing the other uses of this coating technology, including the solar panel’s thermal insulation for reducing the temperature of the panels for better generation of electricity, and enhanced air-conditioning efficiency for trains, cars, and buses.
Expensive materials are used for coating thermal insulation layers and industrial processes like sputtering is essential. These methods are very slow during mass production and also the cost is high. So, these drawbacks led to the creation of an eco-friendly spray coating system.