Reflective Paint Consisting of Mesoporous Silica Aerogel and Titania Nanoparticles for Thermal Management

Thermal insulation paint material is an energy-critical coating component for thermal management in energy-efficient buildings, vehicles, electronics, and data centers. Long-standing pursuits for the paint coating materials are high thermal insulation and light reflectance, mechanical durability, and wear resistance. Here we describe an aqueous-based hierarchical coating nanocomposite composed of mesoporous silica aerogel and titania nanoparticle pigment paint which exhibits a low thermal conductivity of 0.029 W/m K, a high visible reflectance of 90%, and a mechanical Young’s modulus of ∼4.86 MPa with a high abrasion resistance. The hierarchical and hydrophobic nanocomposite coatings show robust thermal cycling and thermal resistance, resulting in an equivalent cooling power of 928 W/m2. The design and manufacturing principle reported here could extend to a variety of insulation coating materials to achieve energy efficiency and sustainability.