Advanced Coating Solutions, headquartered in Kirkland, WA in the US produces a thin insulation coating material that works by blocking heat transfer. Instead of using mass to work as a heat sink and absorb heat (fiberglass), the thin insulation coating works like the ‘Low E’ window concept, where thin oxide coatings diffuse infrared radiation.
According to Richard Stratton, founder and Managing Director of Advanced Coating Solutions, his company sells its insulation products to ship operators to control condensation and insulate their ships, and to food plants to save energy and provide personnel protection from burns.
“It’s basically latex paint with the primary “fillers” (titanium dioxide and calcium carbonate) mostly removed and replaced with hollow, ceramic, micro-beads,” he explains.
Richard says the coating acts to diffuse infrared-carried heat energy – similar to Low-E oxide window coatings that blocks infrared energy penetration of glass. He believes Advanced Coating Solutions’ products will most certainly work on potato storage facilities to enhance isolation, and further control condensation on processing equipment up to 200 degrees Celsius.
He mentions that he has seen this insulation work on cold walls by warming surfaces above the dew point to control condensation.
“The fact is that it performs as insulation, it’s very durable, and it works where traditional materials usually fail. Food plants can still sanitize equipment with diluted caustics and rinse it off with fire hoses.”
Richard further notes that there’s also heat reduction due to thin air gaps between layers – so-called “conductive resistance”.
He says his company also zeroes in on the fact that traditional insulation can’t work under wet conditions and in general has a lot of limitations.
“So, getting that last 20% efficient isn’t going to work unless you throw a lot of money at it’, he says. “People will need to use new methods and technology to be cost effective.”
Richard says that from his company’s experience, once the paint seals, the coating is very stable and won’t absorb moisture.
“Since the moisture passes on conductive heat energy, regular insulation is very sensitive to it. Rock wool goes from an insulative K value of 0.043 per inch to 1.2 K value with only 19.5% moisture content. And since most, if not all mass-based insulation absorbs moisture, it’s only a matter of time.
“That’s why our coating can generate a stable 0.1176 K value at only 35mils/0.95mm and be equal to rock wool’s 2 inches when the rock wool only has 19.5% moisture content.”
Anyone with an interest are encouraged to get in touch with Richard Stratton to discuss the benefits of his company’s products for potato storage facilities, as well as processing facilities. He is keen to connect with potato storage managers and those involved with potato processing plants to set up trial projects. He can be reached at richards@coatingsolution.com or richards@latitude47.com and phone 425.785.0902 in Kirkland, WA.
Source: Advanced Coating Solutions
onto the truck path into the facility
