*More is Less: Reduce Reflectance with Thicker Application
In general, we recommend spraying Avian Black-S to an optimal thickness of approximately 4 mils (3-4 coats). This results in a very matte coating with reflectances of about 3% as noted above.
Our customers have found that they were able to decrease the coatings’ reflectance to around 2%R by adding more coats, and even further by spraying from a longer distance to get a rougher texture. Since the coating contains plenty of binder, applications that may appear to be overspray have very good adhesion properties.
We have successfully replicated this result. With seven coats (7 mils), the coating reflectance drops to 2.1-2.2%R in the NIR (2.5% in the visible). When sprayed from a distance of approximately 15 inches, the reflectance dropped to 2% in the visible and around 1.9%R in the NIR.
If your application requires a very low reflectance in a spray-on coating, and can tolerate a slightly thicker coating build, we recommend this spray method. Contact us for more information and recommendations for application.
