Arkema is promoting reflective “cool roofing” systems designed to reduce heat absorption by buildings and lower air-conditioning demand. The company combines acrylic and PVDF coating technologies for white roofs that reflect solar radiation and help maintain cooler indoor temperatures.
According to market players in France cited by Arkema, cool roofs can reduce average summer temperatures by 6–7°C (10.8–12.6°F). In air-conditioned buildings, the company says this can represent energy savings of about 40%. The approach uses white reflective coatings to increase albedo and reduce the amount of solar heat absorbed by dark roofs.
Arkema’s system combines a white primer based on Encor Flex acrylic resin with a protective topcoat made from Kynar Aquatec PVDF. The acrylic resin can be produced partly from bio-attributed raw materials through a mass-balance offering. Arkema says the PVDF emulsion provides UV resistance and helps maintain solar reflectivity for more than 20 years with minimal maintenance, while properties of the pigmented coating limit mold growth and dirt adhesion when exposed to rain.
Both coating layers incorporate Arkema rheological additives intended to improve application behavior and reduce drying time. The company works with formulators and paint companies in Europe applying reflective coatings to retail stores, warehouses, hospitals, homes and airport terminals.
At Terminal 2G of Roissy-Charles de Gaulle Airport in France, Arkema reports that July measurements showed an average surface-temperature difference of 14.8°C (26.6°F) between a west wing fitted with a cool roof and an east wing without one. The maximum measured difference was 24°C (43.2°F), while electricity consumption for air conditioning fell by 21% at the same indoor temperature. At another project at a DIY store in Brive-la-Gaillarde, France, Arkema reports a reduction of up to 40% in summer 2021.
