Can I test the thermal performance right away?

If you’re testing our Heat Shield™ EPX-H2O, fast cure product, Yes. As soon as the coating film is completely cured, which is only a few hours if applying on a hot surface, or 1-2 days if applying to a non-heated surface.

For our other 1-part coatings…

The coatings are water-based, so just like paints, they have a cure time. If you plan to conduct your own studies of the thermal resistance or reduction of surface temperature, you must allow the coating to cure completely before full thermal abilities can be measured accurately. See our FAQ Page for more information on this as well as the proper thermometers to use (don’t use laser/infrared thermometers).

The typical cure time for an application of 3-coats at ambient temperature, medium humidity is approximately 30-days. High Humidity, higher film builds, and other environmental factors can increase the cure time. During the cure time the excess moisture (which conducts heat) is dissipating from the coating, and as this happens, the thermal performance of the coating is improving.

Do the coatings have an R-value?

This is common question, and to understand the answer, you need to understand where the R-value came from.

Our coatings, as well as other thin film insulators, do not have an R-value. This is because the R-value relies on a material’s thickness for at least 1/2 of the final number value, so attempting to use it for any material less than an inch will give an inaccurate result of the energy saving value of that material. It’s a case where the measurement standard has not progressed as fast as the technological innovations.

This is why we have used thermal testing that measures direct heat conduction in energy units (such as watts), that is not dependent upon thickness. These types of tests measure the ability to insulate and reduce thermal conductivity, no matter how thin or thick a material is.

Real world performance is just as important as how a technology tests in the lab. How else will you know if your laboratory results correlate with what your customers experience in every day life?

Here are a few field study references that show the exceptional energy saving & insulating performance of our coatings.

1) Residential Home Ceiling/Attic – Tulsa, Oklahoma:
2 1/2 years PRE-Syneffex™ Energy Protect™ coating were compared to 3 years POST-Syneffex™ Energy Protect™ coating.
Result: Average energy savings of 46% reduction of cooling costs.

2) Government Data Center – Monterrey, Mexico
A year-over-year comparison during the hottest month of the year was done inside the server room of their data center. Three coats of Syneffex™ Crystal roof coating were used to stop heat from the exterior from overheating the servers.
Result: 27% reduction in internal temperature.

3) Elasteks Textile – Turkey
A comparison of the steam consumption per yarn dyeing cycle was performed to gauge energy savings after Heat Shield™ EPX-H2O was applied to insulate dyeing machines in their factory.
Result: A 51% reduction in energy consumption. Pre-coating steam consumption per cycle was 1,326kg, and after coating was only 651kg.