Life expectancy prediction and application properties of novel polyurethane based thickness sensitive and thickness insensitive spectrally selective paint coatings for solar absorbers

A novel Thickness Sensitive Spectrally Selective (TSSS PU B: as=0.90, eT=0.20) paint coating on aluminium substrate was prepared from commercially available polyurethane binder (Binder B) (HELIOS TBLUS, SI) and black pigment (spinel (Mn–Fe)), in combination with trisilanol polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS), which served as pigment dispersant. Polyurethane resin binder B was selected because of its higher thermal stability (determined from thermogravimetric measurements (TG)) than polyurethane resin binder A, which has previously been used for making Thickness Insensitive Spectrally Selective (TISS PU A) coatings (as=0.90, eT=0.38) deposited on copper absorbers (Kunič, 2009 [36]).Thermal degradation of the TSSS PU B and TISS PU A coatings, both deposited on aluminium substrates, was studied by following, as close as possible, the methodology worked out within TASK 10 of the IEA's Solar and Heating Programme. Thermal load tests were performed in the temperature range from 170 to 200 °C at various time intervals (1, 6, 10, 15, 21 days). Degradation of the coatings was assessed using a variety of degradation indicators: changes of solar absorptance and thermal emittance determined from the hemispherical IR and VIS/NIR spectra, intensity changes of selected vibrational modes attributed to the polymeric backbone and ester and urethane linkages and combined with peel-off tests used as adhesion and cohesion indicators. The results revealed that degradation of the polyurethane resin binder was attributable to the breaking of the urethane linkages, also shown from the AFM and XPS spectra measurements. For the TISS PU A coating, the life expectancy was estimated to be 22.77 years (activation energy (Ea)=163.2 kJ/mol, Teff=113.4 °C) while for the TSSS PU B coatings, it was at least 25.96 years (activation energy (Ea)=96 kJ/mol, Teff=102 °C).

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► Polyhedral silsesquioxane (POSS) was used as dispersant for making solar paints.
► Spectrally selective paint coatings were deposited on Al substrates.
► Degradation of coatings was investigated from the infrared spectra of coatings.
► Lifetime of coatings was obtained from activation energies and Arrhenius plots.
► Surface morphology changes of coatings were assessed from the XPS spectra.