Huntsman to showcase ALTIRIS infrared reflecting pigment at K2013

Huntsman Corporation (will showcase its new ALTIRIS® infrared reflecting pigment for polymers at K2013 in Düsseldorf, Germany on 16 – 23 October.

Huntsman’s ALTIRIS® infrared reflecting pigment is a titanium dioxide-based pigment that preferentially reflects infrared radiation (heat) from the sun. When mixed with coloured pigments the result is higher(1) solar reflectance in an unprecedented range of colorful polymers including dark and vibrant shades.

Polymer products with high solar reflectance can stay cooler under the sun’s intense heat, helping to reduce overall heat build-up which can prevent heat distortion and premature failure.(2) Increasing the solar reflectance of polymers can help open up new markets for polymer products as they become less prone to warping. This means polymer products could be used in warmer regions of the world where they would have previously been unsuitable.

Sean Reid, business development manager at Huntsman said, "Expanding customer choice when it comes to building materials provides impetus for innovation and exterior polymer products are no exception. We believe that there is scope for a new generation of polymers that are colourful and can better reflect the heat. ALTIRIS® pigment is designed to substantially increase the solar reflectance properties of a very wide range of coloured polymers and has the potential to deliver energy efficiencies and expand customer choice. The pigment delivers a unique set of benefits: tailored solar reflectance from a single additive and in almost any colour customers need. This combination was not available before Huntsman’s ALTIRIS® pigment."

ALTIRIS® pigment won the IChemE award for product innovation in 2012 and was a winner in the pigments category of the 2013 Ringier Technology Innovation Award in May. It has been nominated for a 2013 Plastics Industry award.

Footnotes:

(1) Compared to TIOXIDE® pigment. Our specialist research team prepares coatings and polymers containing ALTIRIS® pigment and control samples using TIOXIDE® pigment with the same RAL index. We then compare solar reflectance using a Cary 5000 spectrophotometer. We use a method to measure heat build-up in polymers based on ‘Use of reflectance spectra to predict heat build-up of pigmented PVC panels; Sullivan, Peak: 1993’.

(2) ‘Heat build-up in PVC exterior building products due to absorption of the energy from the sun may lead to distortion problems. Heat build-up is affected by the color, emittance, absorptance, and reflectance of a product. Generally, the darker the colour of the product, the more energy is absorbed and the greater is the heat build-up’; ASTM D4803