Development of functional additives with infrared reflective properties for automotive industry

Infrared radiation primarily contributes to the rise in car temperature, prompting excessive reliance on air conditioning, which in turn increases fuel consumption and emissions of harmful gases. Various methods exist to mitigate this, including the application of inorganic pigments designed to reflect infrared radiation. However, these pigments often come with colour limitations. Hence, there's a pressing need to develop a strategy capable of both reflecting infrared radiation and maintaining transparency in visible light, allowing for broader applicability across different colours. The goal is to reduce car temperatures, minimise air conditioning usage, and consequently decrease pollutant emissions. Our proposed solution involves utilising silica nano/microparticles known for their transparency in the visible spectrum and high reflectivity to infrared radiation. These particles are engineered with spherical morphology and varied sizes and combinations to identify the most effective approach. The most successful material we've developed showcases an impressive ability to increase the infrared (IR) radiation reflection and decrease the temperature by roughly 27 °C. Beyond their exceptional temperature-reducing capabilities, silica micro/nanospheres offer the added advantage of preserving the standard quality of paint. This study demonstrates a promising alternative to minimise the use of air conditioning systems and subsequently reduce the emission of polluting gases. • Silica nano/microparticles presented high capability to reflect infrared radiation. • The best material demonstrated an impressive ability to decrease the temperature by roughly 27 °C. • The transparent material allows its utilisation across a wide range of colours. • This strategy preserves the standard quality of paint. • Reflective coatings hold great potential for addressing environmental concerns in the automotive sector.