Development of thermal insulation coating for automotive application

Abstract

The required polymers cannot be directly employed for our applications because of lacuna in the multifunctional aspects. These multifunctional aspects are obtained by blending two or more materials or reinforcement in small proportions in a holding matrix, the infusion of some materials as random reinforcement into the holding matrix brings a lot of difference in the properties of the materials. Among the reinforcement micro v/s nanolevel, nano-level makes a great difference in the observed properties, Compared to the micro-level nanoparticles have surface-dominated properties that make them ideal for the reinforcement of the composites. Nature has chosen the best path for the efficiency of all its systems. Even life science makes the best possible usage of nanotechnology. Nanoparticles made up of silicon & calcium are excellent thermal insulators. These combined with the exceptional insulating properties of the polymer matrix will provide us with a great thermal insulation material for automotive purposes. The resulting combination of the polymer matrix and the nanoparticle is transparent and has an affinity towards metals. This makes it suitable for automotive applications. Among the combination of silicon and calcium with silicone sealant in enhancing the thermal resistance of the developed composites, the best combination resulted with the addition of silicon dioxide with the silicone sealant rather than calcium. This could be due to the amplification of the inherent property of thermal resistance of the silicone element by the addition of the silicon dioxide at the nano level. The thermal resistance of the calcium-modified sealant was 159 °C whereas the silicon dioxide modified sealant showed enhanced thermal resistance of 153 °C as compared to the pristine specimen. Based upon the results calcium silicate gains in addressing the observed properties.