ARCHIVES : A Coating That Cools and Cuts Costs , Issue : 2004,

A Coating That Cools and Cuts Costs


Issue: 2004
Category: Industrial Productivity/Manufacturing Technology
Page: 95-96
Center: Ames Research Center
State: VA Manufacturer: Wessex Incorporated
Origin: NASA Protective Coating for Ceramic Materials


To enable low-cost space access for advanced exploration vehicles, Ames Research Center invented and patented a protective coating for ceramic materials (PCCM) in 1994. Wessex received a license for PCCM in 1996 and initially applied it to building materials for firewall applications. Through further testing and experimentation, however, the company would eventually come to learn the true potential of PCCM, leading to longer-lasting materials, greater energy conservation and fuel efficiency, increased productivity, and significantly reduced operating costs for numerous U.S. businesses.


Known commercially as Emisshield,T Wessex's PCCM product mirrors NASA's original protective coating in that it provides increased "hemispherical" emissivity-the ability to absorb energy and reradiate it to a cooler surface, body, or atmosphere. Like PCCM, Emisshield can be reused and repeatedly cycled between severe extremes of subzero temperatures and temperatures over 3,000 ?F, without ever damaging the protective coating or the underlying material. With each use, the coating's molecular structure is rearranged to create a stronger bond between the coating and the underlying material, and an even greater level of thermal protection. Wessex has embraced a high rate of success with Emisshield beyond its initial fireproofing accomplishments.