Temperature controlled coating

QinetiQ's new Low Solar Load (LSL) paint is a heat reflective coating that can reduce surface temperature by up to 35%, compared to conventional paints.

The technology has both military and commercial applications. The technology can trim the weight, and costs, of aircraft by reducing air-conditioning, insulation and materials requirements, while in hot climates,  the paint would be particularly appropriate for external use on buildings.

White surfaces reflect the sun's visible energy and hence feel cooler. But the LSL paint also reflects energy in the infra-red as well as the visible spectrum, so the technology can make dark LSL paint colours feel cool just like standard white surfaces.

An additional benefit of the new LSL paint is that it can be treated with QinetiQ's colour changing technology so that the paint changes colour as it dries, enabling individuals to easily identify which sections of a structure have been painted, or more importantly, what sections have still to be completed, thereby creating savings in coating weight and manpower costs.